


The Town of Sleeping Metal

by Jayie_The_Hufflepuff



Series: The Castle and Eleventh Doctor Adventures [2]
Category: Castle, Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2017-12-05 00:25:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jayie_The_Hufflepuff/pseuds/Jayie_The_Hufflepuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Castle and Beckett agreed to join the Doctor for just one trip, they never expected anything like the Town of Sleeping Metal. Sequel to A Murder Takes Manhattan, which you should probably read to get this. Season 5 Pre-Target and Hunt for Castle, and Season 7 Pre-Angels for Doctor Who.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Alien Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor takes Castle and Beckett to an alien museum.

When Detective Kate Beckett and partner Richard Castle followed the Doctor into the TARDIS, they looked around the interior in surprise. Not at the size – this was a familiar concept – but rather at the person inside. “Where's River?” Castle asked. The frizzy-haired woman who'd been with the Doctor mere minutes ago was now nowhere to be seen.

The Time Lord was focused on the console, but he looked up with a grin at Castle's question.“She went back home,” he explained. “Though I get the feeling we'll be seeing her again today.”

“So!” He whirled around to face the partners, clasping his hands eagerly, a giant grin on his face. “All of time and space, anywhere and anywhen in the whole wide universe, and only one question; where do you want to go?”

The partners exchanged a short look before giving their answers.

“Alien planet.”

“Earth's future.”

They blinked at each other in surprise at the differing answers, missing the Doctor's bemused look. Castle asked his partner curiously, “Don't you want to see more aliens? I mean come on, there's gotta be some cool stuff out there.” His mind was swimming with imagined scenes with strange creatures and breathtakingly beautiful worlds. He knew they were only getting one trip, and he wanted to make it count.

Beckett shrugged. "We already met aliens. I want to see what the human race does what itself. You know, what we end up accomplishing, what we make of ourselves." Though she acted indifferent, Castle could see the excitement boiling under the surface. She was just as eager to see the stars as he was.

After looking from one partner to the other in amused bewilderment, the Doctor have a sudden grin. "Well, let's compromise shall we?" He raced over to the console and began his manic dance around the controls. "I know just the place!"

Up went the switches. "A human colony..." Punching buttons. "...in the future..." Down went the lever. "...with aliens!"

A familiar tremor ran through the ship. Castle and Beckett hastily grabbed hold of the railing, only just keeping their footing as the ship shuddered into life. A loud _vworpp, vworpp_ rang through the console room.

The TARDIS gave a last, violent shudder before stilling. The ship had barely halted before the Doctor bounded over to the front door. He whirled to face Castle and Beckett with a huge, excited grin. "Detective, Castle," he paused dramatically before pushing open the doors behind him, I give you the human colony of Sariti, 28th century."

SCENEBREAK

Beckett had traveled through space in the TARDIS before. She had opened those doors to see one location having melted into another. An apartment replaced by a forest. A forest replaced by a yard. But she'd never been greeted by a sight like the one in front of her, or gotten the feeling of having traveled so very far away.

The sky was almost the right color, but there was a touch more purple in there than there should be. The pale outlines of two moons rested high in the sky. That alone was enough to tell her they were on another world.

Beckett stepped out, gaping in wonder around her. They had landed right in front of a huge building with pillars and arches. It looked like an old library or mausoleum, but it was made of a smooth metal. A holographic sign hung over the door which read, "The Earth and Related History Museum of Swametel." The message fizzed out a few moments later to be replaced with, "Now with a fresh new exhibit."

The Doctor blinked confusedly as he stepped out of the TARDIS. "Hmm, this definitely isn't the capital city." He glared briefly at the ship, as if it were at fault for the mislanding, before turning to look properly at the building. A wide grin broke over his face. "Ooo, a museum, I love a museum!"

Beckett shot the alien a side glare. "A museum? Really? All of time and space and you bring us to a museum?"

"Yep." At the detective's continued glare, he threw up his hands defensively. "What? Museums are cool!"

Beckett turned to share an exasperated look with her partner, only to see him gaping excitedly at the building before them. _Of course,_ she though wryly, _I forgot, he loves museums._

Seeing that she wasn't going to get any help from that quarter, the detective let out a resigned sigh. “Alright, fine. Museum it is then. But afterwards we get to see more of the town.”

“Deal!” The Doctor said with an excited grin. He turned to stand before the detective and her partner. “First things first though. No wandering off.” The Time Lord frowned, lost in thought. “Of course, I always tell them that, but they never listen.”

Beckett rolled her eyes. “It's not me you have to worry about.” She shot a quick side glare at her partner.

Castle tried and failed to hide a smirk. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

As they started walking, Beckett looped her arm through Castle's. “Oh, so then I guess I must have imagined every time I ever told you to stay in the car and you _didn't_.”

Castle dipped his head grandly. "It’s a tragedy, really, such a great mind lost to delusions." He let out an undignified yelp when Beckett smacked his arm, but he was laughing and so was she. They were really there. They were actually standing on an alien planet, in the future, so very far away from home. The giddiness was getting to both of their heads.

The Doctor just shook his head in amusement at the partners' banter. With a final laugh, Beckett turned back to their guide. "So where are we again?"

The Doctor bounded up the front stairs, turning back to face his entourage when they reached the top. "The town of Swametel on the planet Sariti in the year 2741. A few hundred years after your time. Sariti's one of many colonies of the great Earth Empire. Tiny little planet, but the cities are supposed to be gorgeous."

"Hmm, you mean the cities you skipped over?" Beckett asked teasingly.

"Yeah. In favor of a _museum_!" The Doctor emphasized passionately.

Beckett bit back another laugh at the Time Lord's indignant expression. "Well come on then, lead on." She and Castle fell into step behind the alien, arms linked comfortably, as they finally walked through the doors of the museum. She wasn't normally so openly happy around someone she'd just met, but the giddiness of being on an alien world, in the future, was getting to her.

This feeling was only strengthened as they pushed past the front doors and were swept up into the crowd inside. Beckett didn't even look at the exhibit for several moments, too caught up in the swarm of people that surrounded them. There were humans, but that familiar sight was evenly matched with aliens. Strange human-like creatures with bone-white skin, small red midgets with spiked skin, humanoid cats... so many strange and fantastic species thrown into the mix, walking around with humans as though it were all perfectly normal. It was almost surreal.

Beckett gave a small, breathless laugh. She felt Castle's hand grip hers more tightly, and on turning to look at him, saw the same wonder and bewilderment on his face. This time there was none of the fear or disbelief that they'd felt on first seeing the TARDIS. They knew the truth of the sight in front of them. Now they were appreciating the true triumph in it. Humans walking amongst aliens; no fighting, no segregation, no conquering.

There was something so hopeful in the way the crowd flawlessly mingled. She had nothing to go on beyond this initial sight, no knowledge of how the rest of the human race fared or how long this amiability would last, but just seeing it gave her a warm feeling in her chest. From this day forward, she would be able to push through each hard day at work and think it worth it, for it was all contributing to the future, to this future. That alone could make the hard times worth it.

The detective's gaze was finally drawn to the exhibits themselves. The walls were made entirely of glass, with words barely visible against the surface. The artifacts were lined up behind the glass, resting on what appeared to be a wide sheet of red velvet. The only section Beckett could see through the crowd looked to be pottery, but she felt herself getting excited about whatever alien artifacts they might encounter.

"Right," the Doctor said with a puppyish look of excitement, "Let's get going."

SCENEBREAK

The next few minutes were spent futilely attempting to push through the crowd to get close to the exhibits. Any time they seemed to make any headway, a new rush of patrons would crowd eagerly around the glass and cut the time travelers off. The Doctor let out a frustrated noise from the back of his throat. "Oh, this won't do."

Suddenly, the crowd parted abruptly to let a small, well-dressed group through. A short man with an impressively long mustache led them through, small eyes glaring out at the crowd. "VIP tour coming through, coming through now," he sniffed in a pinched tone. His wealthy entourage were able to sit back and view the exhibits without any interruption. Beckett's eyebrows flew up. She wasn't sure whether to feel impressed or irritated.

That's when she noticed the Doctor squeezing his way through the crowd to stand before the mustached man. The short man glared contemptuously up at the Time Lord. "VIP guests only, good sir," he said snidely.

The Doctor just beamed at him amiably. "Yes, VIP, that's us. Sorry to be late, got a little held up in traffic." Before the man could protest further, the Doctor held up a familiar leather wallet. "Look, see, VIP."

The man's demeanor changed instantly. His sneer melted into an exceedingly fake smile. "My apologies, good sir." He gave a slight bow before continuing on, parting the crowd to let the VIP group through.

As the partners managed to squeeze past the crowd and rejoin their guide, he turned to them with a wide grin. "Well that's sorted then."

Beckett frowned as it clicked in her head where she'd seen the wallet before. "Wait, isn't that River's police badge?" She asked curiously.

The Doctor nodded, handing her the wallet. Beckett blinked in surprise when she saw that it now displayed VIP passes for a Sir Doctor of Tardis, Kate Beckett, and Richard Castle. "It's psychic paper," the Doctor explained. "It tells people whatever I want them to see."

Beckett's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Good thing they don't have those back home," she commented as she turned over the wallet in her hands, "otherwise my job would be a lot harder."

She didn't even have to look at her partner to know what he was going to say. "And no, Castle, we are not getting psychic paper." When he opened his mouth to speak again she added, "Or a sonic screwdriver."

As Castle pouted, Beckett turned to look at the real VIPs. There was an elderly human couple, both dressed in extravagant Victorian clothing, the woman’s neck practically drowning under all the pearls and diamonds. After listening a bit, Beckett was able to catch their names; Violet and Edgar Dowess. Then there was a young adult man with messy silver hair and yellow eyes shaped like a cat’s, with slitted black pupils, wearing a tuxedo. He had introduced himself in a voice like a purr as Felix Karp. There were also three men who were about knee-height with blue skin and green eyes who identified as Ki, Twi, and Fi.

The last member of the party was of considerable more interest. She wore a long black dress with a full skirt that rustled against the ground, along with a black veil that concealed her face. When she spoke, it was with a soft British accent, but so far she’d given no indication as to who she was. Beckett couldn’t even make out what she looked like past the veil, only that she was human height. She couldn’t help but feel an itch of curiousity about the quiet, veiled figure. Who was she?

The Doctor seemed to notice her interest, for he explained in a low tone, “These are the museum’s patrons. The museum needs money to buy and upkeep all these exhibits, and these guys support it. All the richest and finest in society, looking to show off their names. Hence the VIP status. The museum depends on their donations to stay open.”

Beckett just nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable. This was all a little rich for her blood. Everyone here was probably worth more than she could earn in ten years, and they all seemed to know it. But she wasn’t here to mingle with society anyway, so she ignored them and turned her attention back to the exhibits.

They were currently standing in front of a wide glass display. Inside rested several old, rugged pieces of cloth armor. Dusty red caps were lined up neatly in front of the uniforms. “And here,” mustache man, who was apparently the manager, Mr. Lewart, said with a sniff, “we have authentic uniforms of the old Earth organization known as Torchwood. They were a primitive association who’s aim was to suppress alien rights on Earth.”

Safely behind the rest of the group, the Doctor shook his head with a sigh. “Humans,” he scoffed, “you lot can never remember anything right. Those uniforms belong to UNIT, not Torchwood, and they worked to protect humans from possible alien threats.” The Doctor frowned. “Though the line was a bit blurry sometimes between ‘protecting’ and ‘attacking.’”

They continued this way through the entire tour, Mr. Lewart providing a brief background on each piece which the Doctor then either supported, amended, or rewrote entirely. It was a little alarming just how many of the artifacts were things the Doctor had lost or left behind. Beckett and Castle listened to it all with fascination. The history of humans and aliens seemed to be tangled with endless agreements and conflicts and treaties. It was truly fascinating. This wasn’t some dusty lecture about people long dead and gone; this was the future being written in front of them.

As they neared the end of their tour, Beckett tried to hide a grin as she admitted, “Alright, you were right, the museum was a good idea.”

As Castle beamed smugly at her, the Doctor said, “See? Museums _are_ cool.”

“It’s like something out of Star Trek,” Castle gushed.

Beckett felt that grin creeping over her face again. “Or Nebula 9.” She ignored Castle’s look of disgust and let the Doctor lead them onwards.

They finally came upon a closed-off wing of the museum. Mr. Lewart seemed to gain a bit more energy now, his sneer gaining pride. “Kind donors, I would like to give you the privilege of seeing our newest exhibit. It will be moved to the front by tomorrow morning, but for now we can see it completely undisturbed. Follow me.”

He led the small group into a section completely empty of people. Curious, the Doctor and the partners followed him. They were being led to a thin platform in the middle of the room, where five strange metal things sat. They looked a bit worse for wear, scuff marks and dents scattered across the metal surface, and they sat there silent and unresponsive.

The donors crowded closer, looking very interested. “These contraptions are known as battle drones,” Mr. Lewart provided proudly. “They were found by a team of archaeologists in Lake Swametel, only a few minutes from here. No one knows where they came from, but they appear to have been used in battle as weapons.”

_In other words, you have absolutely no idea what they are,_ Beckett translated drily. Quietly she asked their oddball guide, “So what the story behind these then?”

When no answer was forthcoming, Beckett took a closer look at the Doctor. The Time Lord had gone rigid, fists slowly unclenching, but more alarming was his expression. It was like nothing Beckett had seen on him before. Usually he wore a goofy grin akin to Castle’s, but he’d been caring for the Karrows, quietly sad for the dying Fatorin, and had shown horrible guilt and sympathy for the wyvern. She’d seen him in agony as he was hit by wave after wave of memories and full of self-loathing in that day in the kitchen. But this was different. A fierce light blazed in his eyes, and his jaw was set in a determined way. This wasn’t anger or pity or the understanding of a broken man; this was _hatred_ , pure and raw, and enough to terrify the detective.

Castle too must have read the Time Lord’s expression, for he gently pressed, “Doctor? What are they?”

Without taking his eyes off the metal things, the Doctor let out a slow breath. “They’re called Daleks,” he said in a hard voice, “And they should not be here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's my sequel to A Murder Takes Manhattan. Yes, I said it was going to be a while before the sequel and that I'd work on other stuff first and that it's only been a few days, but what can I say, I got impatient. So I decided to do both future and alien, so I did an Earth colony. I did a bit of research on a Doctor Who wiki to get as much information right as I could, but as I said at the top, I've never seen Classic Who, so if anything here contradicts it, I'm sorry. My excuse is... time can be rewritten and history is constantly changing? Yeah, that works.


	2. The Veiled Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and company are confronted by the veiled woman and try to figure out what to do about the Daleks.

“Daleks?”

The Doctor didn’t respond, which left Castle to wonder in silence. Hadn’t he heard that word before?

It was Beckett who remembered first. Her eyes softened with sudden sympathy. “Didn’t you say the Daleks were the race your people were fighting?” Castle’s mind was thrown back to that day in the kitchen, when the Doctor’s mask had slipped and he’d shown the true despair underneath. It wasn’t despair on his face now though; it was hatred deeper than anything he’d seen on the Time Lord’s face before. And that was terrifying. If the Doctor could destroy an entire species he felt so guilty over and defeat a wyvern he felt compassion for, what could he do to someone he hated?

The Doctor took a few moments to answer, but when he did it was in a hardened tone. “Yes. They fought in the Time War. And I have fought them many, many times before and since.” He let out a slow breath, evidently trying to calm himself down. “Daleks call themselves the ‘pest control’ of the universe. They will kill anything that isn’t Dalek just for being different. There’s nothing else to them but hate and killing.” He looked down slightly, voice edged with pain. “There are times I almost thought it was worth it. All of it. Burning down Gallifrey, the loss of the Time Lords. There are times I thought that all of that was worth it if I could have just ridded the universe of the Daleks. But they keep coming back, always stronger, always killing, and I keep having to fight them while my people are still lost.”

Castle felt a rush of sympathy for the Time Lord. The mask had slipped again, and the broken man was letting them see his pain. He asked quietly, taking care that there was no accusation in his tone, “And you said they have no drive other than to kill?”

The Time Lord nodded dully. “Their orders are to wipe out anyone who isn’t Dalek, and they’re nothing if not the perfect soldier.” Hatred was tempered with disgust as he glared at the motionless metal form. “All that death in the name of the superior Dalek race.”

The writer felt a shudder run through him at those words. He’d faced criminals like that before– people who killed for the pleasure of it, for no reason other than the thrill it gave them. He’d sat in interrogation rooms across from psychos and cold-blooded killers. But to have to face an entire race of them, over and over…

Castle and Beckett shared a quick look. The Time Lord was losing his grip again; something had to be done. Beckett quickly took over the situation. “Alright. You said they’re not supposed to be here. What did you mean? Are they dangerous like this?”

The Doctor seemed to snap out of his hateful trance, looking at Beckett and Castle for the first time since spying the Daleks. “I don’t know. But I do know that it’s nearly impossible to kill a Dalek.” With that cryptic message he pushed rudely past the donors, ignoring their indignant cries and mutters, and whipped out his sonic screwdriver to scan the dormant Daleks.

The screwdriver had barely began it’s _whirring_ when Mr. Lewart hurried over to the Time Lord and cried shrilly, “Excuse me sir, no electronic devices allowed in the exhibits!” He reached to snatch the sonic screwdriver out of the Time Lord’s grasp, but the Doctor stepped back carelessly.

His glare was still fixed on the Daleks, but a quick look down at his sonic screwdriver seemed to take the fight out of him. He gave the Daleks a last glare before turning and nodding stiffly to Mr. Lewart. “Apologies,” he muttered. With a last, sweeping glance, he paused to straighten his bow-tie before turning towards the door. “Come along Beckett, Castle,” he said in a low voice. Neither partner fully understood what had just happened, but they followed their guide without a word.

SCENEBREAK

The Doctor still seemed rather out of sorts as they navigated through the crowd, but his cheerful energy returned with alarming speed the moment they stepped outside. “Right, that’s that sorted then,” he said brightly. “So, off to town for a bit, then back home, hmm?”

Beckett and Castle blinked at him in surprise, sharing a baffled glance. The writer turned back to the Time Lord. “What, so that’s it?”

The alien gave an unconvincing look of innocence. “Of course it is, what do you mean?”

Beckett narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The Doctor was clearly hiding something, and she had a feeling it was because he didn’t want to put her and Castle in danger. That was more than a little irritating. “Doctor, something happened in there, and we deserve to know what.” When the Doctor hesitated, she pushed in a firm tone, “Castle and I knew what we were signing up for when we came on this trip. It’s not your job to shelter us.”

Sadness flickered in the Time Lord's eyes. "They all say that," he said quietly.

"Then losing them wasn't your fault," Castle stated firmly.

Beckett added, “I'm a trained cop and Castle has worked with me for four years. We've been in dangerous situations before, and we know how to handle ourselves. We're not some wide-eyed civilians you can push off to the side.”

“You picked us to be your partners on this,” Castle reminded the Time Lord with an encouraging smile. “Partners work together.”

The Doctor looked from one human to the other for a moment, looking almost sheepish. He hesitated a few moments before finally sighing, “Oh, alright, fine then.”

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver out for Castle and Beckett to see. “I only got a quick scan of the Daleks, but I couldn't pick up any signs of life." He frowned thoughtfully. "But it was just a quick scan. And I just can't see why any Dalek would leave behind their suit like that."

Castle's brow furrowed. "Suit?"

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively as he explained, "The metal's just a suit they wear, the real Dalek is a little mutant thing riding around inside. The suits were damaged but not destroyed. So why couldn't I read any sign of Daleks inside?"

Before Castle or Beckett could answer, a new voice spoke behind them. "Pardon me, but are you the Doctor?"

The three travelers whirled around to see the source of the interruption. The veiled woman from the VIP group stood behind them, expression hidden behind the veil. The earlier softness of her voice had been replaced by a harder accent, gaining more confidence.

The Doctor nodded. "Erm, yes, that's me. Why?"

The woman seemed to relax slightly, the stiffness in her posture melting away. "Good. Follow me." Without any further explanation, she turned and began to walk away. The Doctor looked puzzled for a moment, but then shrugged and started off after the woman.

Beckett blinked in surprise. _Wait, are we actually following her?_ After a few moments of stunned silence, the two partners hurried to catch up with their guide. When they reached him, Castle asked in a low voice, “So, just so we're clear, we're actually following the creepy veiled lady just 'cause she said so?”

“Yep!” The Doctor replied brightly.

It took him several moments to realize that Beckett and Castle were staring at him incredulously. His brow furrowed. “What?” As they continued to stare at him, he defended himself lamely, “Well she's not armed.” He waved his sonic screwdriver to make his point.

Beckett's voice was edged with sarcasm. “And what happens if the veiled mystery woman is leading us into a trap?”

“Then we'll get out of it,” the Doctor explained dismissively. “I'm rather good at that.”

The detective shared a baffled look with her partner, but in the end they followed the Doctor.

They were centuries and galaxies from home. What other choice did they have?

SCENEBREAK

The woman led them to another building in walking distance. Once you got past the museum, the town around it was really quite small. She didn't seem at all worried about her dress trailing against the ground and collecting dirt; her gait was brisk, and she didn't stop to answer any of her entourage's questions.

When they reached their destination, Beckett looked at the building's sign in surprise. "Police Station?" she repeated dubiously.

"That's right." She jumped a little when the veiled woman spoke again. The woman pushed through the doors, leaving the travelers to follow, before turning back to face them and pushing the veil back. Beckett and Castle started slightly in surprise at the sight of her face. It was a humanoid face, but was covered completely with green and pale brown scales, giving her a uniquely reptilian look, along with the crest. Her pale blue eyes scanned the travelers, balancing interest with wariness.

The Doctor broke out into a huge grin. “You’re a Silurian!”

The reptilian woman nodded and smiled, her manner easily becoming friendly. She reached out a hand, which the Doctor shook eagerly. “I’m Tara, Sheriff of Swametel,” she said in a clear, confident tone. The Silurian turned her attention to Castle, then to Beckett, giving her hand a surprisingly firm shake, before turning back to the Doctor. “It’s an honor to meet you, Doctor. I’ve heard so many stories.”

The Doctor looked interested. “Stories? What stories? Good ones, I hope?”

Tara chuckled. “I’d say a mix. But they say you only show up when there’s trouble, and I think I might know what’s up.”

Beckett studied the sheriff coolly. After a few moments she asked, “Are we being arrested?”

The Silurian turned to her, eyes sharp with intelligence as she appraised the detective. She seemed to approve, for she gave the detective a familiar grin. “No. You’re being consulted.”

SCENEBREAK

“Sorry about the disguise,” Tara apologized as she shed the heavy black dress, revealing a black leather jacket and dark pants underneath. She seemed far more comfortable in this casual clothing, leaning back easily in a chair across from the three travelers. “I was there to try and figure out how much the donors knew about the exhibit, and I wanted a closer look myself, but I’m not exactly from the higher social circles. I didn’t need anyone causing problems if they recognized me.”

“Why did you think investigating was needed in the first place?” The Doctor asked curiously.

Tara leaned forward, her manner instantly becoming more professional. “The metal creatures were dug up four weeks ago by a small team of archaeologists. They turned over their findings to the team at the museum, but something’s wrong. The paperwork went through too fast; it should have taken way longer to get everything approved and thoroughly investigated. You heard old Lewart, he barely had a clue what those things were. I started looking into it, and I’m pretty sure Lewart hurried along the process just to get those things on display. Some signatures looked forged, and a few steps were missing entirely.”

“Why would he do that?” Castle asked.

“The museum hasn’t had a fresh exhibit in a few years,” Tara explained. “They’ve been getting very tight on money. I’m guessing Lewart jumped on the first chance to get some income for the place.”

Castle looked thoughtful, leaning back in his chair. “So maybe those scientists found something dangerous about the find,” he mused, “but Lewart covered it up so he could get the exhibit on display.”

“Or maybe he just skipped that part entirely and has no idea whether they’re safe or not,” Beckett countered. “Either way, the Daleks haven’t been properly examined. They could still be dangerous.” She turned to the Doctor. “But you said you didn’t pick anything up on the sonic screwdriver?”

The Doctor shrugged. “I didn’t pick up any signs of life, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any. I only got a quick scan, and there are ways to cloak yourself. They could still be in there, but what I don’t get is _why_. Why would they hide in a museum?”

“Well, you seem to know what they are, so what is it they want?” Tara asked. “Maybe there’s something of value or use in that museum that they’re after.”

The Doctor shook his head. “Daleks have no concept of value,” he said in a low voice. “All they care about is exterminating every race that isn’t Dalek.”

“There’s only five of them,” Beckett pointed out. “Maybe they’re waiting for back-up before attacking?”

There wasn’t a lot that could scare the detective, but the bleak, sad look on the Doctor’s face sent a sudden chill down her spine. In a solemn voice he told her, “One Dalek would be enough to burn this town to the ground and come back for more. Five could take down the planet. They don’t need back-up.”

A few moments of silence passed, everyone wrapped up in individual thought. Finally, Castle broke the silence. “Alright. So what we know for sure is that the Dalek suits are in the museum, and there may or may not be living Daleks inside. There are either two reasons they would be there; One, to hide from something. They could be running from something, or just waiting for an opportunity, for what, we don’t know. Two, they could be too weak to attack.”

The Doctor looked uncertain, fiddling anxiously with his bow-tie. “Hard to say. The suits didn’t look too damaged, but they could have been mended for the exhibit, and if something happened to their guns they’d be defenseless.”

Tara looked troubled. “I had heard of Daleks, but I hadn’t realized they were the creatures in the museum,” she said with a frown. “Their hatred and skill in killing has been told in many stories.”

The Doctor sighed sadly. "They've killed so many in their time."

Tara's sharp gaze shifted to the Doctor. "You've defeated them before. Will you help now?"

He nodded immediately. "Of course. But I'll need to get a closer look at the Daleks.”

Tara grinned conspiritaly, surprising Beckett with her easy manner. “Oh, I can get you in, no problem. I've got a judge that owes me a favor; I'll have a warrant by tonight.”

The Doctor frowned impatiently. “Can't we get in sooner?”

Beckett shot the Doctor a glare. “He means thank you,” she informed the sheriff.

The Silurian chuckled. “Not a problem.” She turned back to the Time Lord. “It's probably better we go in at night anyway. There won't be any people there, and we'll be able to get a proper look at the exhibit.”

The Doctor hesistated, then finally nodded, resigned. “Fine. We'll wait until tonight.”

SCENEBREAK

The Doctor turned out to be not very good at waiting. In the next few hours he alternated between chatting eagerly with the Silurian, examining the entire police station, and pacing. Beckett and Castle tried to talk to him, but he was still on edge about the Daleks, so they soon gave it up.

Instead, Beckett found herself talking to Tara. The Silurian was looking at her with interest, her pale blue gaze unwavering. “I have often heard the Doctor traveled with a human companion, but you two don't seem like wide-eye stargazers. So who are you?”

Beckett found herself liking the Silurian. She was clearly dedicated to her job, and she was smart enough to interrogate the travelers before trusting them. “Detective Kate Beckett, and he's Richard Castle.” The man in question was off playing with some futuristic bit of tech. Beckett rolled her eyes at his child-like glee.

Understanding flashed in Tara's eyes. “Ah, a cop huh?” She grinned. “Glad to know I've got another cop at my side, it's been too long since I've had anyone else to work with. What kind of detective?”

Beckett couldn't help but return Tara's grin. The Silurian's friendly manner was infectious. “Homicide.”

The Silurian's pale eyes flickered with sadness. “I've dealt with a few deaths before, but thankfully that is only a small part of my job here. Swametel's a small town, not too many murders here.” She tilted her head slightly, studying the detective. “What made you want to be a detective? It can't have been an easy decision.”

Beckett's good mood faded, replaced by the familiar ache in her chest. Most other people she would have brushed off, but Tara needed to trust them for this to work, and she had an air of being easy to talk to. With a weak sort of smile, Beckett looked down at her hands. “I lost someone,” she admitted. “My mom.”

Tara's eyes widened, the familiar sympathy and pity playing on her features. “I'm sorry,” she said, something Beckett had already heard far too many times. Then she added something unexpected. “Sorry, I shouldn't have asked.”

Beckett blinked in surprise. “Not a problem,” she echoed the Silurian's earlier response, earning a smile from the alien. Eager to get the subject off of her, she asked, “What about you? How'd you get to be sheriff?”

Tara sat back, a reminiscent light in her eyes. “Well, I grew up around here, kinda raised by the town, never knew who my parents were. The sheriff at the time took me in." She smiled warmly at the memory, continuing wistfully, "He was a great man, a human colonist from Earth. He taught me everything I know. It just felt right to take over when he died."

Beckett felt a tug of envy over the sheriff's more cheerful story, but pushed it back. She went to change the subject again. "How do you know so much about the Doctor?" she asked curiously. She'd shared the Doctor's memories mere hours before, so she'd seen how much he'd impacted the universe, but associating the funny man in the bow-tie with a creature of legend was still hard.

Tara's eyes took on a far-away look. "Oh, the Doctor stories were always my favorite. The man who swoops in from nowhere and saves the world. The one who can send whole fleets running at the drop of his name." She shot Beckett a side glance. "The Daleks have a name for him; the Oncoming Storm."

Beckett felt a slight shudder at the name. She had already chosen to forgive the Doctor for the destruction of his planet, but the title had a ring of doom around it. There had to be so many out there who hated the Doctor. The wyvern had only been the beginning. The Daleks sounded like they were terrified of him. The Oncoming Storm sounded like a vengeful god, not a goofy man with a bow-tie.

All she said aloud was, "I hope they won't get the chance to call him that."

Tara made a small sound of agreement. A comfortable silence fell, only to be broken when the Silurian asked curiously, “That man, is he your boyfriend?”  
Surprised, Beckett followed her gaze to see her looking at Castle. The familiar lie jumped to the front of her mind, but there was no reason to lie here. It wasn't like she was ever going to talk to Gates. Finally, she settled with a simple, “He's my partner.”

The sheriff looked surprised. “Really?” She gave the man another sweeping glance, frowning slightly as she said, “He doesn't look like a cop.”

Beckett smiled fondly. “He's not. He's a writer.” At the Silurian's baffled look, she explained, “At first he was just following me as research for his books, but that was four years ago. He's my partner now. I have his back and he has mine.”

Tara smiled a little wistfully. “Sounds great. Wish I had someone to work with me here, but no one around here's exactly aspiring to be a cop.” The Silurian stood, giving Beckett a quick smile. “I better go check on that warrant. It was nice talking with you, Detective Beckett.”

As the sheriff walked away, Beckett was left wondering how one lone sheriff and three time travelers were supposed to deal with the Daleks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter out. I really like the Silurians, especially Madam Vastra, so I felt the need to include one in my story. If Tara seems different from other Silurians shown, that's because she was raised by a human in a mixed culture. Next chapter will involve their search of the museum - and of the Daleks. Dun dun dun. Sorry if the last line seems rushed, I ran out of ideas. Next chapter might not come until Monday, 'cause I'll be spending the weekend at my top choice college. :) After this visit, I'm making my final decision. So basically pressure, lots of pressure. Fun stuff.


	3. Five Daleks Are We

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and companions visit the museum to investigate the Daleks.

The Town of Sleeping Metal part 3  
A Doctor Who / Castle Crossover  
   
     "Sheriff, this is taking things entirely too far!"  
   
     Lewart's shrill protests echoed loudly through the hall. Sheriff Tara ignored him as she strode towards the far end of the museum, where the Dalek exhibit was kept.  
   
     The manager had been meeting with his donors, discussing the new exhibit and further donations, when the sheriff and the travelers had arrived with their warrant. The donors were currently trailing behind the small group, varying between curiosity, vain interest, and annoyance at being interrupted.   
   
     The manager stepped into the Silurian’s path, hands held up imploringly. “Listen, can we at least do this in private? You don’t need to go waving your warrant around in anybody else’s face.” He shot the donors a meaningful glance, and Beckett felt a surge of anger. He was more worried about the reaction from the donors than the danger posed by the Daleks.  
   
     Tara looked angry too. She opened her mouth to retort, but Beckett cut her off, recognizing that arguing with Lewart wasn’t going to do anyone any favors. “You’re right, we don’t all need to go in. I’m going to wander for a bit. Anyone want to join me?” She would have made it an order, but as she kept having to remind herself, she didn’t have any authority here.  
   
     Violet Dowess shook her head profusely, curiosity gleaming in her beady eyes, but her husband accepted, as did Felix Karp and Twi. Beckett gave the manager an apologetic shrug, then turned and led the small group out towards the front lobby.  
   
     Once they were out of hearing range, Felix Karp appeared almost silently at her side. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said in a voice smoother than any human voice could be. “Whatever Lewart has done, it will all come to light one way or another, our being there or not won’t make the least bit of difference. The press has a nose for this sort of thing.”  
   
     Beckett was surprised at the young man’s shrewdness. His amber eyes stared unblinkingly at her, pupils wider in the darkness of the museum, expression patient and interested. “It wasn’t about covering Lewart from gossip, it was about getting him to stop complaining,” she admitted.  
   
     Amusement flashed in the man’s cat-like eyes. “He was being rather loud, wasn’t he?” He let out a low chuckle.  “Impressive, Ms. Beckett.”  
   
     Pushing back the instinct to correct him with “ _Detective_ Beckett, she smiled slightly and said, “Thank you, Mr. Karp.”  
   
     “Please, call me Felix,” the man insisted with a smile.

     Beckett held back a smirk. “Will do.”

     They headed out past the front doors to the front of the museum, where the TARDIS was parked only a few yards away. The brisk night air felt refreshing after the stuffy interior of the museum. Felix narrowed his eyes to amber slits when the chilly air wrapped around them, a low noise like a purr rumbling in the back of his throat. “Mmm, that’s better,” he commented lightly.

     Beckett was getting a little uncomfortable with the silence, and the man’s almost cat-like behavior. If it were anyone else, she would have said he was flirting with her, but the cat-like behavior made her think this was probably just how he acted. After fishing a bit for a topic, she asked, “So what made you want to donate to the museum?”

     Felix opened his eyes again, fixing Beckett with an unblinking amber gaze once again. With amusement, he answered, “There’s no need to sound so nervous, Ms. Beckett.” His gaze slid over to where Twi and Edward Dowess stood talking, Twi speaking rapidly about something, the human listening in silence with an occasional nod. “There are two ways to be rich in this town – to make yourself that way through business, or to come from a wealthy family. Twi there runs a big corporation with Fi and Ki, but Dowess and I come from money. It’s all about society and who you’re seen with. My family has to be seen going to the right events and shaking the right hands.” He’d sounded almost bored explaining it, but a warm smile graced his lips as he added, “Besides, I’ve always had a fondness for the museum.”

     Beckett fought to push back the sudden sensation of distaste. The complicated dance and manipulation of celebrity status had never had any appeal to her. She’d dealt with enough celebrity murders and unhelpful witnesses to see just how much you had to lie and undercut to lead that kind of life, and she never wanted to be that kind of person.

     Felix seemed to notice her discomfort, for he gave a rueful smile. “We must seem so foolish to you,” he commented quietly.

     Beckett gave him a sharp glance, surprised he had voiced her thoughts. She hesitated over an answer, wanting to be honest yet not offensive, but Felix beat her to it. “I’m sorry if I’ve taken up your time, ma’am.” With a final bow, he turned and padded away to where Ki and Dowess stood, leaving Beckett blinking in surprise at the turn their conversation had taken.  
   
SCENEBREAK  
   
     Castle followed the Doctor, Tara, and Lewart as they headed toward the Dalek exhibit, with Fi, Ki, and Violet Dowess trailing along behind. Lewart’s screeching complaints had lessened since Beckett took half of the donors away, but he still seemed to feel the need to insist every five minutes that their trip was pointless, that nothing was wrong with the exhibit. The writer was about ready to gag the man, and from the irritated glares Tara kept shooting him, she felt the same.

     Castle sped up so that he was walking beside the sheriff. In a low voice he muttered, “Does that guy ever shut up?”

     Tara chuckled quietly. “As long as I’ve known him, no.”

     “And how long is that?” Castle asked curiously.

     "Since he took over the place nine years ago." She let out an exasperated sigh. "He's had some shady dealings in the past, so I've been keeping an eye on him, but nothing ever seemed off until now."

     "Right," Castle said with distaste, "The only thing he's been guilty of is being a greedy, annoying twat."

     Tara laughed, causing Lewart to glare at her from his spot at the back of the group. "That about sums it up."

     They finally reached the section of the museum where the Dalek exhibit was kept. Lewart made one last attempt to intervene; "Really Sheriff, I _must_ insist -"

     Tara pushed past him with an annoyed hiss. "Insist all you want, Lewart, I've got a warrant." She strode confidently into the Dalek exhibit, ready to ignore Lewart further and investigate the Daleks.

     Only they weren't there.

      The pedestal where the metal creatures had been resting was empty, leaving five faint imprints in the red velvet. Castle froze, wondering what could have happened, but when the Doctor walked in and saw the lack of Daleks, all he could think about what the look of terror that had flashed on the Time Lord's face. A creature that the Doctor hated had to be terrible indeed, but one that he _feared_ , he who had destroyed an entire race, had to be something truly horrible.

     For once, Mr. Lewart seemed at a loss for words. He gaped stupidly at the empty exhibit, mouth opening and closing a few times before he sputtered out, "Whu-what?"

     The remaining donors crowded eagerly around the empty pedastal. Violet Dowess's watery gray eyes sharpened with interest. She let out a hoarse laugh. "Ooo, not very smart of you, Lewart, losing a whole exhibit." Castle got the feeling she'd be eagerly gossiping about it over some fancy dinner the first chance she got.

     The Doctor burst into action, rushing up to the pedestal, sonic screwdriver scanning the entirety of the velvet surface. He held it up to look at it, eyes hardening at what he saw. "They've been gone a few hours."

     Tara looked worried. "How can that be?" She turned to Lewart and the donors and said, "You lot were all here, wouldn't you have heard them go by?"

     Fi and Ki shared a baffled look. "Heard what?" Ki asked, confused.

     By now, Lewart had regained enough of his wits to interrupt Castle's explanation. "Nothing! Nothing's been lost, simply, ah, moved. Yes, yes, it's been moved, that's all." His gaze flickered meaningfully to his donors.

     The Doctor began pacing with nervous energy, hands wringing as he began thinking aloud. "So the Daleks are alive, and they've had a few hours to scuttle off wherever they want. But why? Why, why, what were they after?"

     "Are you saying those metal things are alive?" Fi asked incredulously.

     A flicker of worry appeared in Violet's eyes, but Lewart was still trying to pass it all off as nothing. "I'm telling you," he huffed indignantly, "they've just been moved, that's all!"

     The Doctor waved a dismissive hand. "No talking, trying to think." His pacing gained speed as he babbled at rapid- fire speed, "So, Daleks Daleks Daleks, in the museum, hiding away, then they leave, why?"

     Castle's blood froze as a new thought entered his head. "Beckett," he breathed. "She doesn't know."

     Fear flashed in the Doctor's eyes, but it only lasted a moment. "We need to find her," the Time Lord ordered. "Did she say where she was going?"

     Castle shook his head. "Uh, no, she just said she was gonna wander."

     The Doctor frowned for a moment before snapping his fingers, inspired. "Security cameras." He turned to Lewart. "Is there a surveillance room?" he asked urgently.

     The manager's face was slowly turning tomato red. "Now listen, I don't know what you're playing at-"

     The Doctor lost patience. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, he pulled his face close and repeated, "Sureveillance room, where, now!"

     Lewart sputtered uncomfortably. "Th-three hallways down, three lefts and a right."

     Castle was out in the hallway before the Doctor even released Lewart, hurrying down the path he had indicated.

      _Where are you, Kate?_

SCENEBREAK

     "YOU WILL COME WITH US!"

     Beckett didn't recognize the voice that had sounded behind them, but the inhuman screech had made her freeze up immediately, hand reaching automatically for the gun that was no longer there. Silently cursing the Doctor's anti-gun sentiments, she slowly turned to face the new arrival.

     Beckett's initial impression of the Daleks had been that they looked a bit like oversized pepper pots, with whisk-like things for guns, and a plunger. A truly ridiculous set-up. But there was nothing ridiculous about the Dalek pointing its gun at the small group, or the angry screech of, "THE PRIS-O-NERS WILL FOLLOW OR-DERS!"

     Beckett froze, slowly raising her hands over her head, showing the Dalek that she was unarmed. Without glancing at the donors, she ordered firmly, "Do as it says."

     Felix complied, looking confused, but Twi and Edward Dowess just blinked curiously at the metal creature. "Good lord," Edward Dowess remarked in a posh British accent, "Is that thing still active?" He clearly thought it was the mindless battle drone Lewart had described earlier.

     Without taking her gaze off the Dalek, she corrected him in a sharper tone, "It's not active, it's alive, and it will kill you if you don't obey. Hands up Dowess."

     Looking puzzled, the old man slowly obeyed, along with Twi.

     The Dalek advanced threateningly, waving the gun slightly. "MOVE! MO-OVE!" it screamed.

     Without taking her eyes off it, Beckett slowly backed away where directed, soon joining the rest of the small group. Felix was confused but calmly obeying the Dalek's orders, but Twi and Edward Dowess still seemed dubious. Beckett shot them both a quick side glare, warning them not to try anything stupid.

     If the Daleks were as horrible as the Doctor seemed to think, then it was her job to get everyone out of this alive, and she had her work cut out for her.

SCENEBREAK

     When they reached the surveillance room, the Doctor hurried to the controls, whipping his sonic screwdriver out and scanning everything. Half of the cameras weren't even on, but it only took a few seconds to get them on. What he saw when he did made his blood freeze.

     A Dalek was being shown by the camera recording the outside of the museum. The creature looked a little worse for wear, the smooth metal surface scratched and dented, but it was definitely alive. The eyestalk was aimed directly at the camera, that cold blue eye staring straight at him. "DOC-TOR."

     Tara let out a small gasp. "It knows we're here."

     "It reversed the speakers that play music outside," the Doctor realized quietly. "What we're saying in here is projecting out there." He leaned casually towards the screen, a small, taunting smile in his lips, even as he fought to cover the dread he felt in his gut. The Time Lord felt a grim sort of resignation - this had always been coming. No matter how many times he faced the Daleks, they always came back for more. _Hello Dalek._

     He clasped his hands, giving the Dalek a wide grin. "Oh, hello there! I see you lot decided to wake up and join the party." It was same old routine, the same old bravado, the goofy grin, the disarming childishness. It helped to cover up the ice he felt in his hearts when he thought about how he'd dragged yet more people into his endless fight with the Daleks.

     The mutant in question, as usual, ignored his flippant words. The eyestalk shifted, lending to the general air of agitation. There was something off about this Dalek. There was almost an air of nervousness about it, something twitchy in its movements.

     "THE DOC-TOR WILL OBEY OR-DERS!" the Dalek ordered in that grating screech, lights flashing insistently.

     "Oh, that's no fun," the Doctor drawled. "Never was one for following orders, me. So, what's got the Daleks all rattled, eh?" He leaned forward slightly, the image of amiability, that same taunting smirk on his lips. "What's got you lot hiding away in a museum playing dead? Hmm?"

     The Dalek's movements became even more agitated, shuffling back and forth at greater speed. "YOU WILL NOT ASK QUE-STIONS!" it screamed.

     The Doctor gave a cold chuckle. "Oh, but I've got a gob, me, and I just can't help wondering, how'd you five get stuck here alone? Where's the rest of your fleet?"

     "THE DOC-TOR WILL NOT ASK QUES-TIONS!" the Dalek screeched. "O-BEY!"

       "Obey what?" the Doctor asked impatiently. "What do you want?"

     "A SHIP! YOU WILL FIND A SHIP FOR THE DA-LEKS!"

     The Doctor's brow furrowed. "A ship?" he asked incredulously. "What do you need a ship for? You must have come here by ship. Well, maybe it got damaged. But why not just repair it?"

     "YOU WILL NOT ASK QUE-STIONS!" The Dalek's scream had increased in volume. "FIND A SHIP OR YOUR COM-PAN-ION WILL DIE!"

     The Doctor's thoughts flew immediately to Amy or Rory, his hearts going cold with dread, before he remembered that they weren't with him anymore. _Just as well,_ he thought dully, _if they were here, they'd be the ones in danger. That's why you left them behind._

     His eyes widened when they realized who they meant, and judging by the look of horror on Castle's face, so had he. _Beckett._

     The Time Lord fought to keep his expression in the same neutral expression; the Daleks may not be able to see them, but Castle could, and he didn't need to scare the human more than he already was. If they had Beckett, that meant they had the rest of the donors. "Hostages? That's not very Dalek of you."

     The Dalek didn't seem to like the change in subject. "FIND A SHIP! YOU-MUST FIND A SHIP!"

     "Yeah, sure fine, we'll get you a ship, pack you all up and ready to go," the Doctor agreed pleasantly. "But first," he added, voice suddenly ice cold, "you prove that she's still alive."

     The Dalek was still for a few moments before letting out a small, "FINE." Offscreen, another Dalek was screaming, "THE PRIS-O-NERS WILL MOVE! MO-OVE!"

     Slowly, the small group that had left earlier came into frame, Beckett looking cool and collected, Felix Karp looking confused, and Twi and Edward Dowess simply looking bored and bemused.

     The Doctor felt a rush of relief to see Detective Beckett alive and unharmed, only to freeze again when an indignant shriek sounded behind him. "That's my husband!" Violet Dowess swept towards the monitor, eyes narrowed and lips pressed tight with displeasure. "What do you think you're playing at? Release him at once!"

     The Doctor turned to the woman. "Mrs. Dowess, shut it," he warned quietly.

     As usual, the human paid no attention. They never seemed to - it was like all humans were determined to ignore his clever, life-saving advice. Or maybe he just had one of those face no one listened to (again.) "Now look here!" she huffed, turning a fierce glare on the Time Lord. "You've been nothing but trouble from the start, young man. You're the one who started this whole nonsense, so you better call your little attack dogs off Doctor, before I call the authorities!"

     Before the Doctor could scramble to defend himself, the Dalek on the screen let out an agitated screech. "WE DO NOT ANSWER TO THE DOC-TOR! THE DALEKS ARE SUPE-RIOR!!!" The creature turned angrily on the hostages, who froze, hands still over their heads.

     The Doctor recognized the danger of the situation immediately. "No ones saying that, right? You're the ones with the guns," he said quickly, trying to appease them. There was definitely something off about these Daleks; anything could set them off.

     "THE DOC-TOR WILL OBEY! O-BEY! O-BEY!" The Dalek was almost trembling now, the head waving from side to side. Before the Doctor could try to placate them again, the Dalek's gun whipped around to aim at Edward Dowess. "THE HUMAN FEMALE WILL BE SI-LENT!"

    As the hostages hurried to get out of range, a gunshot rang out. Violet Dowess let out a shriek, but it wasn't her husband who staggered to the ground.

     Fi and Ki let out identical gasps as they watched the screen. "Twi!"

     The short blue man had fallen to the ground, and all the Doctor could think was _There's someone else I couldn't save._

     Then a shaky moan sounded from the screen, followed by a stunned, "He's alive!" from Felix.

     The Doctor wasn't an easy man to surprise. He'd seen so much in his thousand years of travel through time and space. Things that should have been impossible, things that had never even occurred to him, and things that just plain contradicted everything the universe had taught him. But seeing someone survive a shot from a Dalek gun, at point-blank range, was enough to throw the Time Lord for a loop.

     The Dalek was quick to point its gun back at Edward Dowess, but at that point Beckett had stepped protectively in front of him and the fallen Twi, arms spread wide in a defensive stance. Castle let out a worried cry of "Beckett!" but the Doctor silenced him with a look.

     In a low, calm tone, Beckett slowly told the Dalek, "There's no need to kill anyone here. The Doctor will do what you say, and we won't cause any problems. No one has to die."

     The Dalek shuffled uncertainly for a few moments before turning back to the camera. "FIND A SHIP FOR THE DA-LEKS, OR THE COM-PAN-IONS DIE!" With that, the screen shorted out. Message over, apparently.

     The Doctor took a moment to lean over the screen and compose himself before turning back to the donors. He had to work to hide the mixture of fear for the people he had put in danger and the hatred he felt for those who had taken them. None of it would reassure the people he needed to work with now.

     Lewart was gaping idiotically at the screen, his previously beet-red face paling to white. Violet Dowess had clutched desperately at the manager's shoulder when her husband had appeared to be shot, and was now staring with a lingering look of horror at the empty screen. Fi and Ki looked caught between confusion, disbelief, and fear. Tara looked horrified and sympathetic.

     It was Castle's expression that worried the Doctor. He'd previously only seen the writer cheerful or determined, or even sad over the death of the wyvern. But now his expression was like stone, only his eyes betraying the terrible fear he felt. That wasn't the look of a goofy writer. That was the look of someone who would do anything to protect his partner. Of someone who might do something incredibly stupid.

     Ignoring the donors, the Doctor came to stand before Castle and put both hands on his shoulders. The writer seemed surprised at the contact, but the Doctor pushed past that and insisted in a low tone, "Castle, we're going up get Beckett out of this. We _can_ save her, and she's going to be fine, but you're going to have to trust me." The Doctor needed Castle's trust for this to work. Only hours before he'd seen the man's thoughts and memories, and he knew that if Castle didn't think him capable of saving Beckett, then he'd take things into his own hands. And that could only end badly.

     The hardness melted from Castle's face for a moment, fear and desperation blazing in his eyes. The Doctor was hit with the memory of seeing Castle's mind and feeling his love for Beckett. He would truly travel the universe and back for that woman and fight anyone who got in his way.

    All of his companions had meant a lot to him, but had there ever been anyone who he'd have done that for? _Rose,_ his mind supplied immediately. He almost added River to that list, but he'd already seen her death, he reminded himself bitterly, and he'd done absolutely nothing to stop it. Not nearly enough.

     After a few moments, Castle gave a firm nod. "All right," he said quietly.

     The Doctor turned back to the donors, serious as he rarely was. He'd just made a serious promise, and he'd be damned if any Daleks would let him break it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's two in the morning, but I've got another chapter done, so I'm happy, I'd sleep-deprived. And the person I'm rooming with at this college overnight turned out to be a Whovian, Sherlockian, and Potterhead, so that was awesome.
> 
> And yes, Beckett gets taken hostage. Le gasp. It took forever to get a suitable reason for why the Daleks were there and needed a ship, but after bouncing some ideas off my Whovian cousin I think I've got a good explanation.
> 
> Oh, and the title is a reference to this little song I remember from elementary school, "Five Fat Turksys Are We." Completely random, I know, but my tired brain decided to remind me of it and it fits the idea of the chapter.
> 
> Five far turkeys are we  
> We slept all night in a tree  
> When the cook came around  
> We couldn't be found  
> So that's why we're here you see


	4. Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beckett takes control of the hostage situation and Castle and the Doctor work on a plan.

Beckett was at Twi's side the minute he went down, her mind cooly running through the facts. The shot had seemed more like an electrical shock than anything, so there was no specific wound. She went to check on him, but Felix reached him first. The young man crouched by Twi's side, fingers gently checking his wrist. "He's alive," the man breathed. His amber eyes were wide with horror and fear, but his voice was still calm, and he didn't waver as he took his coat off and folded it under Twi's head.

Beckett quickly positioned herself between the donors and the Dalek that had shot Twi. The two Daleks behind them and the two positioned by the TARDIS still had clear shots on Dowess and Twi, but none of them had moved since the shot had been fired, so Beckett kept her attention on the trembling Dalek.

She could hear Castle's frightened cry of her name from the speakers, but she ignored him and forced herself to focus on the Dalek. The creature was acting very unstable, twitching and shuffling. A very dangerous person to hold a gun. Beckett made her voice as calm as possible as she reasoned, “There's no need to kill anyone here. The Doctor will do what you say, and we won't cause any problems. No one has to die."

The Dalek shuffled uncertainly for a bit before turning back to the security camera. “FIND A SHIP FOR THE DA-LEKS, OR THE COM-PAN-IONS DIE!" the creature screeched. With that, the Dalek by the door raised its plunger to the control panel there. The soft static from the speakers was cut off, leaving silence behind once more. Message over, apparently.

Beckett backed up slowly, keeping herself between the Dalek and Dowess as she crouched beside the fallen Twi. “How is he?” she asked Felix.

A few moments passed before a shaky reply came. “Unconcious, but his heart's steady.” Now confident the Dalek wasn't shooting anyone else, Beckett turned her attention to Felix. The silver-haired man had been calm enough when Twi had been shot, but now his amber eyes were wide with fear, and he was trembling slightly. Beckett was struck with just how young he was – by the looks of it, he couldn't be more than twenty. Felix gulped slightly before admitting hoarsely, “I – I've never seen anyone get shot before...” The man's soft voice was a little rougher with fear.

Beckett could see the cat-eyed man was starting to fall to pieces, so she lowered her voice to a more soothing tone. "Felix, look at me."

The wide amber eyes met hers as she continued, "I wasn't honest with you earlier, Felix. I'm not just a friend of Tara's. I'm a cop from a planet far from here. I'm a homicide detective, head of my (squad?), and that man I was with before is my partner. I've been in situations like this before, and I promise you Felix, I'm going to get us all out of here, but I'll need your help."

Felix looked surprised. "My help? Why me?"

"Twi's unconcious, and I don't get the feeling Dowess is going to be much help." The man in question was currently gaping at Twi's unconcious form, face white as a sheet. He'd made no effort to help Felix and Beckett with Twi, and he didn't appear to be hearing their conversation.

Beckett turned back to Felix. "I'm going to need someone here with their head still on their shoulders," she said gently. "You're smart, and you know this planet better than me. I need your help."

After a slightly panicked glance at Twi, Felix took a deep breath. The fearful look in his amber eyes faded a little, and his trembling subsided. "Alright. Anything you need," he said in a calmer tone. He was clearly still scared, but Beckett's words seemed to have calmed him somewhat.

As Beckett turned to look back at the Daleks, she couldn't help but wish she had her real partner with her.

SCENEBREAK

As the Doctor walked away, Castle tried to push the sound of that gunshot out of his head, and the memory of that terrible moment when he'd thought Beckett had been the one who was shot...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the Doctor's voice. “Alright, so we need to figure out how to get Beckett and the others away from the Daleks without getting anyone killed.” The Time Lord was back to his energetic, bouncy self, but there was still that steely look in his eyes.  
“Wha-what were those _things_?”Violet Dowess's voice had been reduced to a shaky whisper. Her hand was still closed in a vise-like grip on Lewart’s shoulder, and she was staring at the now-empty screen with a deathly white face. However, she seemed to regain some of her former fire as she ordered, “I demand you tell us, sir. Those things have my husband! What are they?”  
The Doctor glared impatiently at the old woman. “Your husband and others have been captured by a species called the Daleks who will very definitely kill every one of us if we don't do something. Any questions?"

There was a dull silence before a new voice spoke. “Yes.” Everyone turned to face Lewart, who had freed his shoulder from Violet Dowess’s grasp and was straightening his frumpled jacket. “Why don’t we just do as these… _Daleks_ tell us and find them a ship?”

“Because the Daleks told us to,” the Doctor answered dismissivly.

Lewart glared at the Doctor. Drawing himself up to his full height, the manager sniffed, “Now Doctor, I don’t know who the hell you are, but you seem to think you’re in charge here. I believe you will find that this is _my_ museum, and that puts me in charge. I say we give these creatures what they want and be in our way.”

The Doctor seemed thoroughly exasperated at that point. He leaned down to Lewart’s level, getting right up in his face. “Let me explain something. A Dalek at full power is enough to level a large city. Five is enough to take out the whole planet. Your biggest guns couldn't scratch the surface. Send an army after one of them and it'll mow them all down without blinking. You give them a ship, they'll use it to burn this entire planet out of the sky. And since _I'm_ the very clever Time Lord with the sonic screwdriver and the plan, I rather think that puts _me_ in charge.”

Something hard and cold blazed in the Time Lord's eyes. The determination mixed with hatred brought to Castle's mind a name he'd heard from Tara earlier. _The Oncoming Storm._

There was something dangerous brewing just under the surface. Castle had only seen the man in the bow-tie as an interesting friend and traveler, if broken inside, but now he could see something of a vengeful god in the ancient Time Lord. Someone who could lay waste to entire races and bring kings and empires tumbling down. Lewart took one look at the dark expression the Doctor wore and snapped his mouth shut.

The Doctor smiled again, but it lacked the usual warmth. “Good.” With a sudden burst of energy, he turned back towards the monitors.

A tense silence fell over the donors. They looked to each other with clear fear and confusion, but no one seemed willing to interrupt the Doctor’s brooding silence as he scanned the monitors. Finally, however, Fi stepped up, Ki right beside him. “Doctor,”he said with a low, gruff voice that surprised Castle, “is Twi going to be okay?”

The Doctor turned to them with a frown, but he didn’t seem angry at them, just thoughtful. “Oh, lots of fun medicine in this century, and if there’s nothing here I’ve got stuff on the TARDIS,” he answered with forced cheerfulness. “But do you know what? I’ve been fighting the Daleks a long time, me, seen a lot of the universe. But you know what I’ve never seen? Someone survive being shot by a Dalek at point blank range.”

The Time Lord began to pace around the room, anticipation and ideas giving him energy. “Something’s wrong. Daleks travel in fleets. When they’re alone, it usually means they’re on a mission of some sort. But these Daleks don’t seem to have a plan beyond taking hostages.”

Castle spoke up, forcing his worries about Beckett to the back of his mind. “They must have been trapped here somehow. Why else would they need a ship?”

The Doctor nodded appreciatively. “Yes! So! Daleks that have been separated from the fleet, stranded on an unknown planet, damaged.” His frown began to fade, slowly being replaced by a thrilled grin as he realized, “They’re weak. Twi survived because their guns are damaged.”

Hope tightened in Castle’s chest for a moment. “So does that mean they can’t kill?”

The Doctor gave a small, bitter laugh. “If there's one thing a Dalek will always be able to do, it's kill.” He looked sadly at Castle. “No, they're not so wounded as that, and there's five of them.”

Castle's heart clenched in fear. “So Beckett's still in danger,” he said quietly.

He hadn't even intended for anyone to hear him, but the Doctor replied grimly, “Don't worry. As long as they need me, they won't harm Beckett.”

“How do you know?” Castle asked, half surprised, half desperate.

There was something bitter in the Time Lord's eyes as he answered, “Because they know me. And they know how I am about my companions.” He gave the writer a small smile.

Castle felt a chill run through his spine at what the Doctor seemed to be hinting at, but at the same time he couldn't help but smile at the thought that the Doctor cared about them that much, that the Daleks wouldn't dare to hurt either of them for fear of angering him. They'd only known the Time Lord for a few days, but those had been an extraordinary few days, and dangerous times sometimes create fast friendships. He returned the Doctor's smile for a moment before his stomach clenched again as he remembered the danger Beckett was in.

The Doctor suddenly whirled around from the screens and bounded towards the doors. “Well, we're not getting anything done in here, and the Daleks know we're in here. We better move.” Without further explanation he started off into the hallway, leaving the stunned donors behind.

Lewart muttered under his breath, “The man is mad.” Castle threw him a quick glare, and he fell silent again.

Violet Dowess took a few uncertain steps towards Castle, her expression caught between haughty pride and hesitation. “Does that Doctor know what he's doing?” she asked quietly.

Without hesitating, Castle gave a firm nod. “Absolutely.”

Violet Dowess nodded to herself for a moment before straightening once again, the haughtiness back. “Better follow him then, I suppose.” She swept out of the room, soon followed by Fi and Ki. Lewart hesitated before finally following, muttering darkly, leaving Castle and Tara to bring up the rear. Castle gave the empty screen a final look before they left the room.

As the small group wandered through the halls, Castle tried to fight the mounting fear for his partner. He knew logically that Beckett had been in dangerous situations before and they’d always gotten through them. But somehow, this was different than ever before. For one, he wasn’t there with her. He knew he always felt safer when he had his partner watching his back, and even if it had taken her forever to admit it, so did she.

There was also the unusual feeling of helplessness. They were stranded on a completely unknown planet with an unfamiliar culture, no way of fitting in or hiding, no way to know how or where to escape, no weapons, and no way of getting home except one little box, which they currently didn’t have. If they couldn’t get the TARDIS back, they were well and truly trapped.

Oddly enough, Castle wasn’t as worried about her captors being Daleks rather than humans. Guns were guns, criminals were criminals. These Daleks may be a race of genius, racist killing machines, but the one shot Castle’d seen fired had shown him that these Daleks weren’t any more deadly than a human behind a gun. There were criminals they’d faced before who’d been just as hateful, just as impossible to bargain with or sway. They could be defeated, just like anyone else.

The writer nearly jumped when a voice sounded behind him. “Mind if I walk with you?” He turned to see Tara following behind him, the earlier fear she had shown at Twi being shot replaced by calm confidence. Castle was impressed by her rapid change of manner.

With a shrug he answered, “Sure.”

The Silurian came to walk to his side, and for a few moments neither spoke. It was Tara who finally broke the silence. “She’s going to be fine.”

Castle blinked at her in surprise. “Huh?”

The sheriff as giving him a sympathetic smile, her pale eyes somehow understanding. “Beckett. I know you’re worried for her, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. I talked to her earlier, and she’s tough. She’ll get them through it.” Tara smiled. “She seems like a really good cop.”

Something seemed to get caught in his throat for a moment. So many memories of cases and late nights working flashed through his mind. He had to wait a few moments before he could answer. “Yeah. Yeah, she is. She’s the best cop I know.” The writer smiled as he thought about the brilliant, stubborn detective. “She doesn’t let anything come between her and a case. She just attacks it with everything she has, you know? She doesn’t back down.”

Tara listened to his description of Beckett with a knowing and slightly wistful smile. “I almost wish I had a job more like that,” she admitted. “Being able to help more people. I’ve got my hands full here, true, but it’s mostly domestic stuff. I’m not really making a difference like you and Beckett, solving all those murders.” She was silent for a few moments, lost in her thoughts, before shaking her head. “But at the same time, this is home, and I don’t think I could ever leave.”

Castle thought sadly of his flat in New York, where Martha and Alexis were probably wondering where he’d gotten to, and replied quietly, “I know what you mean.”

Tara seemed to realize that she’d brought up something painful, because she didn’t continue the conversation. When she did speak again, it was in a quiet, serious tone. “I’m not your partner Castle. I’ve never dealt with something this big before. I know that I'm not as experienced as you or Detective Beckett with dangerous situations. But I _am_ a cop. It's my job to look after anyone who comes into my town, and that's what I intend to do. I'll help you do whatever it takes to stop the Daleks and get Detective Beckett back."

Castle looked at the sheriff in surprise. He had liked her well enough before, but he hadn't really had a chance to talk to her much. Now he found himself re-evaluating her. She didn't seem nearly as hardened or single-minded as Beckett, but that same determination rang through in her promise. She still seemed scared of the Daleks, and she clearly wasn't as experienced with danger, but she was determined to do what had to be done.

What Castle appreciated the most was that she wasn't informing him that she, as a cop, would save her. She was offering to help alongside him. Tara was acknowledging Castle as a cop in his own right, and was offering her help, not parading her authority.

He gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, Sheriff," he said solemnly.

The Silurian smiled. "No problem."

SCENEBREAK

Beckett listened apprehensively as one of the Daleks approached the one that had shot Twi. "THE AREA IS TOP EX-POSED. NEED EN-CLOSED AREA TO KEEP THE PRI-SO-NERS."

The Dalek that had shot Twi seemed to agree. "IN-SIDE THE BUIL-DING." It turned to Beckett and the other hostages. "IN-SIDE! IN-SIDE!" it ordered insistently.

Beckett slowly turned, conscious of the Daleks' guns trained on her unprotected back, and helped Felix to lift the unconscious Twi. He was light enough that the two of them could carry him easily, so once they had him secure, they started off towards the museum.

The hostages entered the building in silence, the Daleks following. No one dared speak. Two of the Daleks rolled along towards the front of the group while the Dalek that had shot Twi brought up the rear. Two had been left outside to guard the TARDIS, apparently. The aliens surrounded the hostages with military precision, and the cold metal exterior made them completely expressionless. There wasn't any face to read, just a smooth metal head and an eyestalk. Soldiers with no faces. Beckett was left floundering with nothing to read, and couldn't help but feel apprehension at such cold-seeming killers. The Dalek had shot at Dowess in anger, and didn't even seem to care where its shot had hit.

The Daleks led them further and further into the museum, not seeming to have any destination in mind, but they finally stopped by what looked like a storage closet. “THIS WILL SU-FFICE,” Twi's shooter, who seemed to be the lead Dalek, said abruptly. It advanced threateningly towards the hostages, gun shifting slightly. “IN-SIDE! IN-SIDE!”  
Beckett nodded, concious of Felix stiffening fearfully. “Alright. Give us a second,” she requested calmly. She and Felix waited as Dowess opened the door for them, then the two of them worked together to carry Twi in. They set him down gently on the ground, Felix and Beckett quickly sacrificing their jackets to give him a suitable headrest. The room was small, a little larger than the TARDIS appeared from the outside, with a low ceiling only a foot or two above their heads. It was dusty inside, probably unused for some time, with a few shelves and some cleaning equipment inside. A janitor's closet, by the looks of it.

And for now, it was their prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, it's midnight and I've got a show tomorrow so I really don't know what the hell I'm still doing up, but here's a new chapter!
> 
> I'm sorry for the delay, but I've had rehearsal for my upcoming skating show all this week plus laying out the next edition of the school newspaper, so I've been insanely busy. And yet I managed to finish this. *shrugs*


	5. We Need A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beckett and the hostages try to get their bearings, and the Doctor tries to figure out a plan.

     The Doctor was trying to hide how rattled he was. He knew Castle was worried enough as it was about his partner. Violet Dowess, Fi, and Ki all had hostages to be worried about as well. But for as calm as he tried to appear, inside, he was burning with rage – and fear. Of all of the enemies he had ever made in the universe, the Daleks were by far the most dangerous, and the ones with the worst personal history with him. There were few beings in the universe that he hated, and none as much as the Daleks. That hatred boiled inside him now.

     His familiarity with the Daleks was what had him so afraid. He knew exactly how dangerous they were. As much as he tried to comfort Castle, he knew that Beckett and the others were in serious danger. If these Daleks were as unhinged as they seemed, they could decide at any moment that it wasn't worth keeping Beckett and the others alive. Which was why they needed to get Beckett out of there as soon as possible.

     As they headed down the hallway, Ki sped up to walk beside the Time Lord. “Excuse me, Doctor,” the short alien said in a low voice. “But you mentioned something about having a plan?” Violet Dowess looked up sharply, and he saw Tara and Castle share a glance. He felt a pang of sympathy - he knew they were all relying on him to find them a way out of this.

     “Er, part of a plan,” he corrected hastily. “A percentage of a plan. Actually, more of a concept. But it's a good concept.”

     “And what exactly is that concept?” Violet Dowess asked in a sharp tone. She didn't seem amused by his rambling.

     They had made their way to the back of the museum. The Doctor pushed past the next set of doors, leading them into an employee-only hallway. “Get back to the police station. We can't do anything more for Beckett and your husband here.”

     Her tense posture loosened with relief, and the other donors looked relieved as well. Even Lewart managed to look something less than disgruntled. “So we're getting help?” he asked.

     “In case you haven't noticed, Lewart, we've already got all of the police here,” Tara pointed out dryly.

     Violet Dowess's eyes widened. “That's all this miserable town has? One sheriff?” She shifted her glare back and forth between Tara and the Doctor for a few moments, as if not sure which to blame for this new development, before giving an irritated sigh. “Excellent. So why exactly are we going to the station, if not for help?”

     There it was – the back door. A cold burst of air rushed in as the Doctor plowed past the door, leaving the various humans and aliens to trail along behind him. “The Daleks want us to find them a ship. We can't do that from in here.”

     “But I thought you said we weren't going to give the Daleks what they want?” Castle pointed out.

     The Doctor shook his head. “We aren't,” he assured the writer. They started to make their way around the back of the museum, veering off towards the back parking lot without approaching the front of the museum. “But it'll look suspicious if we just hang around inside. They'll think we're trying to find the hostages and they'll kill them.”

     “And they won't find it suspicious that we're leaving?” Tara asked with a raised eyebrow. “We could go get anyone for help, we could be bringing back an army for all they know”

     “They know we won't,” the Doctor explained. “They have our friends captive. We're not going to do anything that'll risk their lives.”

     “So what will we be doing?” Fi asked gruffly.

     That was where the Doctor was a little stuck. He knew that they had to get Beckett and the other hostages out of there somehow. They couldn't give the Daleks a ship, and as soon as they figured out the Doctor wouldn't deliver, they would kill the hostages immediately. But the Doctor wasn't sure exactly how they'd be able to sneak them out without the Daleks noticing. The hostages were likely somewhere in the museum. No doubt there would be Daleks guarding them, wherever they were. They couldn't stay and help them, and there wasn't much they could do from afar.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The storage closet was dark and cramped. The only light spilled in from the crack under the door. It took several minutes for Beckett's eyes to adjust. There was a low moaning, and the sound of someone shifting. As her vision adjusted, she saw Felix helping Twi to the ground, leaning him against some sort of shelf. The short blue alien was pale and trembling, but at least he was finally awake.

     “What are those things?” Twi asked hoarsely. His green eyes were wide with fear and pain. For someone who'd just been shot, though, Beckett was impressed how composed his tone was.

     “Daleks,” she explained in a low whisper. The detective was all too aware that the Daleks in question were just outside the door, just in hearing range. “They're dangerous, and now we're their prisoners.” That was definitely not a state she wanted to remain in, especially with how unstable the Daleks seemed. She had no idea when they'd decide that it wasn't worth keeping all of their pirsoners alive, and she had no intention of letting any of her charges die.

     Two amber eyes blinked at her in the dimly lit room. “Do we have a plan?” Felix asked calmly. He'd calmed significantly since Twi had been shot. Beckett was glad that she had at least one uninjured person with a cool head on her side. Dowess was sitting in the corner, still wide-eyed and pale. He hadn't said much of anything since Twi had been shot. Still in shock, apparently.

     She shook her head. “We need to escape, but I'm not sure how just yet.” Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. The Daleks hadn't searched them or taken anything. Beckett ignored Felix's questioning gaze as she started to dig into her pockets, finally drawing out her cell phone. She flashed a triumphant grin. “Perfect.”

     Now that she had the phone at her disposal, Beckett forced herself to go logically over her options. It was too risky to call anyone; the Daleks might hear them. But if she switched off the sound on the phone, she should be able to text freely.

     Beckett shifted around so both Felix and Twi could view her phone screen. She pulled up her contact list, selecting Castle and pulling up a new message.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Before the Doctor could give an answer, there was a sharp ring, like from a phone. The group turned their gazes from the Time Lord to Castle. The writer pulled his phone out of his pocket, his heart skipping a beat when he saw a notification for a new message. “It's Beckett!” he gasped, pulling up the message as quickly as he could. The Doctor's gaze sharpened in interest, and he came to stand beside the writer.

     Castle read it aloud for everyone to hear. “ _Text back, do not call, all alive._ ” Something in Castle's chest loosened, and his head felt light in a sudden burst of relief. Beckett was okay. She was still alive, and so were the other hostages.

     Swiftly, he texted back, “ _Where are you? Are you okay?_ ”

     The reply didn't take long to arrive. “ _Storage closet in the musuem, Twi injured but awake. Three Daleks guarding outside._ ”

     That was more worrying. Three Daleks guarding probably the only door keeping Beckett and the others in a small space. Castle was racking his brains to try and see a way to get them out of there without being spotted, but he couldn't come up with anything. They were truly trapped.

**SCENEBREAK**

     As Beckett texted Castle, Felix and Twi had been paying attention to the phone. Dowess was still in his corner, but he appeared to be coming slowly out of his shock. As he leaned his hand against something to try and push himself up to his knees, there was a clicking noise, and there was a burst of thick white spray, filling the room with the stuff.

     Beckett could feel the spray filling her lungs. She coughed sharply, and she could hear the other three in the room doing the same, though the spray was too thick for her to see them well. Dowess drew back his hand in shock, and the spray dissipated in a matter of seconds, soon clearing out of the room. Beckett could still taste the spray in the air, but it was no longer so thick that she was choking on it. She blinked in shock of how suddenly it had come and gone. “What the hell?”

     From outside the door, there was a sharp cry from one of the Daleks. “ _THE HU-MANS WILL CEASE SHRIE-KING!_ ”

     “Sorry!” Beckett called out quickly. That seemed to appease the Daleks; they didn't make any reply. The hostages waited with bated breath for several moments, but when the Daleks remained silent, they all started to relax.

     Now that the immediate danger had passed, Beckett turned to Dowess. “What was that?” In answer, the man picked up the can his hand had leaned against and handed it to Beckett.

     She turned it over in her hand, trying to make out the print in the dim light. A thick black font declared the can to contain “ _Breezey Clean._ ” It seemed about the size of an average cleaning spray can on Earth, but seemed to hold a lot more spray, and release a lot more of it at once, judging by how much spray had filled the room in just a matter of sexonds.

     "It's a cleaning product," Felix explained when Beckett continued to look confused. "Used mostly for glass."

     Beckett's gaze swept over the can, then back at the door. The beginnings of a plan were staring to come to her. "Felix," she said in a low voice, "when the Daleks stuck us in here, did you hear the door lock at all?"

     His eyebrows raised, but Felix didn't question her. He just shook his head. "I don't believe so." Twi gave a grunt of agreement, and Dowess gave a faint nod.

     "So, most likely, we aren't locked in," Beckett breathed. "The Daleks know they're fast enough to shoot anyone coming out of that door, and they know we've got someone who's injured." She glanced critically at Twi. He was pale and drawn, and still seemed in quite a lot of pain. "Do you think you could run if you had to?" she asked urgently.

     Dowess's eyes widened in shock at the question. Twi shrugged and stretched out an arm to check, only to wince at the movement. "I don't know,” he admitted, “I don't think so. It hurts to move.”

     That was definitely a problem. If they were really going to escape, they were only going to have one shot of it. They would have to be quick. Her gaze flicked over to Dowess. “Do you think you could carry him?”

     The man's eyes widened. “What? I... I suppose. But are we really escaping? Are you insane?” Dowess seemed to be recovering from shock, but his voice was still sharp with panic as he demanded, “Have you seen what those things can do?”

     Beckett bit back an irritated retort. Getting snippy wouldn't help anyone. “Yes I have, Mr. Dowess,” she said in a slow, even tone. “Which is why I know we need to get ourselves out of here at the first chance. These Daleks are unstable. They shot at you for no reason and hit Twi instead, and they barely cared. They don't care who they hurt or why. The longer we stay here, the more chance there is of one of them deciding it's not worth keeping us alive. We have to get out of here while we still can.”

     Dowess still looked a bit wild-eyed, but Beckett's cool tone seemed to bring him down from his panic to some extent. He simply gave a shaky nod in response, turning his head away from her. Beckett got the impression that he was trying to rebuild the rather shattered remains of his dignity.

     "Alright then." She glanced around at the scared but determined faces, realizing she had everyone on board. They were going to escape, following her lead. "Let's go over the plan."

**SCENEBREAK**

     It had been several minutes since Beckett had texted them. They were still hanging around the back lot of the museum, unwilling to leave while Beckett and the hostages' safety was in the air.

     The Doctor knew they had to leave soon. The Daleks might decide to patrol the outside of the museum, and it certainly wouldn't go well for them if they were found lurking outside like this.

     Before he could point this out, however, Castle's phone buzzed again. He pulled up the new message quickly, reporting to the others, " _Escape planned, will contact when safe._ "

     The Doctor felt a thrill of fear. "What? No, she can't! Tell her it's far too dangerous," he urged Castle. Daleks were dangerous at the best of times, and these ones seemed especially jumpy and trigger-happy. Who knew what would happen if they tried to escape and failed?

     Castle quickly sent her the warning, but her reply didn't sound very agreeable. " _More dangerous to stay. Will contact once safe._ " The writer sent a few more messages, but received no reply. "She's ignoring me!" Castle exclaimed, managing to sound childishly outraged over his concern.

     The Doctor forced back a spurt of irritation. _Why are humans always so stubborn?_ Now he was at something on a loss. Beckett and the other hostages might need his help here, but the Daleks would be expecting him to contact from somewhere else about their ship.

     While Castle had been texting, the donors and Mr. Lewart had mostly kept silent. But now, Violet Dowess spoke up. “Are they really going to try and escape?”

     “Will they be alright?” Ki questioned.

     The Time Lord felt a rush of irritation. “I don't know,” he growled, whirling away and starting to pace, trying to figure out the next step to take. Fear for Beckett and the others was making his temper short. It was bad enough that four lives were in danger, but one of them was his friend. Detective Kate Beckett may not have been a full-time companion, but she was his friend regardless, and he would fight to save her as fiercely as any of his companions. But at the moment, he had no idea how.

     Tara seemed to sense the Doctor dilemma, for she spoke up with, “You know what, why don't Castle and I stay behind?” The Doctor gave her a questioning glance, so she explained, “You said the Daleks will be suspicious if we all stay in the musuem. So you can contact them from the station and let them think you're looking for a ship. They won't realize Castle and I are still inside. We can stay and be Beckett's back-up."

     He hesitated, but he had to admit it was a sound plan. "Fine. You two stay here and see what you can do to help Beckett. Castle, keep your phone on you and keep trying to get in touch with her. We'll contact you from the station once we get there."

     With that, he started off again, Violet Dowess, Lewart, Fi, and Ki trailing after him. Hopefully, when they reached the station, they would be able to figure out some way to help. For now, Beckett and the hostages were on their own.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The plan had been discussed in hushed whispers between the four captives. Dowess still seemed to have little confidence in their ability to escape, but Felix and Twi seemed to trust Beckett when she said she could get them out of there. She was impressed how quietly determined they were, especially Twi, who seemed to be in pain every time he took a breath. Neither complained or gave into panic, and both agreed calmly to fill their roles for the escape. She didn't have her partner here, but she was glad to have Felix and Twi helping her out here.

     “It's all going to happen very quickly. We will have a very small window where the Daleks will be disoriented,” Beckett reminded the other three hostages in a low voice. They were going over the plan one final time before it was time to execute it. “We'll have to move quickly. Felix and I will distract the Daleks while Dowess and Twi make a run for it.”

     Dowess had a bit of his stuffy and haughty self back, but he grudgingly recited his part of the plan. “I'll take Twi to the exhibit hall and find somewhere to hide.”

     “Beckett and I will split up,” Felix continued, his voice smooth as silk once again, free of any trace of fear. “If we're lucky, the Daleks will split up to come after the two of us. If one of them goes after Dowess and Twi, we'll try to draw their attention.”

     Beckett picked it up next. “We'll keep their attention long enough for Dowess and Twi to find somewhere to hide, then we'll try to lose them. If we can shake them off, we'll find somewhere to hide, and I'll contact Castle again. If you can find a way out of the museum other than the front door, take it and run. The whole point of this is to get ourselves away from the Daleks. We can worry about stopping them once we're not their prisoners. We'll have an easier time of it once they don't have hostages to hold over the Doctor's head.”

     It was decided. The only thing left was to make the first move. Over the last few minutes, the four hostages had been looking around the closet looking for various types of spray cans. They'd managed to scrounge up five cans. Each of the hostages pulled the lid off of a couple of the cans, and snapped the nozzles off. The room instantly started to fill with various sorts of spray as the cans spewed the stuff out. The second the nozzles were off, they stuck the cans against the crack under the door, forcing the spray out of the room.

     Cries and shrieks of surprise sounded from behind the door. Beckett suspected the Daleks' suits would protect them from choking on the spray, but she was hoping enough of the stuff in the air would impair the Daleks' vision, and perhaps the surprise and confusion would help distract as well. Either way, they didn't have long to act. “Now!”

     With that, Felix turned the knob and slammed his weight against the door, sending it flying open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm basically reduced to groveling at this point. Wow. I am so, so, so sorry for how long it took to update this. Three months shy of two years. That's bloody insane. I have no excuses, other than The Woman Who Counted and The Soldier Who Stayed kind of consumed my fanfic-writing life over the last two-ish years. I can't believe it took me this long to get to it. But I will finish this fanfic. I promised that when I started it, and I'm keeping that promise.
> 
> Anyway, here, at very, very long last, is the newest chapter of The Town of Sleeping Metal. Not totally happy with it, but it's probably better written than any of the previous chapters just due to time. At least I've got the plot moving along.
> 
> Now, as for where this fanfic is going - I didn't write notes when I was actively writing this fic almost two years ago, but I've been brainstorming, and I've got the rest of the plot for this fanfic all planned out. I'm not sure how many chapters there'll be, but I have everything all set out. I'm going to make this fanfic my primary focus. I'll get it finished before I move onto any other projects. Hopefully, I'll be able to pump out a chapter every few days.
> 
> That's my New Year's resolution, by the way - finish any of the fanfics I still have lying around (other than the really old Les Mis ones and such) and be better about updating fics. Also to finish my novel and try to get it published.


	6. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beckett and the hostages enact their escape plan.

     The second the door flew open, Beckett was hit with a sharp burst of light streaming in from the hallways. Thick, white spray was hanging in the air, forcing Beckett to squint. She could just make out the outline of a Dalek in the brief moment after the door swung open.

     She knew she had to move fast. They only had a few seconds to bolt before the Daleks got over their confusion and started shooting. On an impulse, as she rushed past, Beckett reached out towards the Dalek's eyestalk and pushed it firmly away, forcing the Dalek head to spin away from her as she ran. She didn't wait to see whether Felix, Dowess, and Twi had made it out before racing to the end of the hallway and rounding the corner. She would just have to trust that they would be alright.

     Behind her, she heard a few shots ring out, and a sharp, metallic cry of, “THE PRI-SO-NERS ARE ES-CA-PING!” Terror pounded through her veins when she heard the sure _whirring_ of at least one Dalek pursuing her. She glanced back only once, feeling a sharp burst of fear when she saw one of the Daleks rounding the corner, easily keeping up with her, and its gun aimed right at her. A shot whizzed right over her shoulder, making her jump, but she forced herself to keep going. The detective turned down the first corner she could find, trying to dodge the shots behind her as she ducked and weaved through a series of narrow hallways.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The Doctor and the donors had left for the station, leaving Castle and Tara alone at the museum. They'd snuck back in the way they'd left, and were currently roaming the various exhibits, trying to find the hostages.

     "Beckett said they were in a storage closet, right?" Tara questioned as they headed briskly through a wide area with several glass exhibits circling them. "That'll probably be in the back, towards the employee-only area."

     Tara knew the layout of the museum best, so Castle let her lead him through the increasingly maze-like building. As they searched, Castle tried to ignore his fear for Beckett, with little success. He knew how skilled his partner was, but this was a strange planet and a strange time, and a new, unknown enemy. So much could go wrong with their escape.

     Suddenly, somewhere in the stance came a faint series of blasts, and a cry. Tara stiffened. "That sounds like gunfire!" She took off in the direction of the sound, Castle following after the surprise wore off.

     Beckett might be in danger, but now she had back-up on the way.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Through the various twists and turns of the hallways, Beckett thought she might have managed to shake off her pursuer. The chase had taken her away from the back of the museum and towards the exhibits. Currently, she was in a smaller room with a few collections of pottery and baskets and other space junk were hidden behind glass.

     Beckett leaned her back against the glass of an exhibit, partially hidden behind a big display board a few feet in front of the glass. Her lungs and legs were aching from the effort of running, but at least she was safe. For now, anyway.

     She pulled her phone out and started to type out a text to Castle. " _Hiding from Da-_ " Before she could finish, she heard a faint _whirring_ , as if from a distance. Beckett froze. _Daleks._

     The detective had just enough time to duck down behind the display board before the door she'd come in through swung open, and the Dalek that had been chasing her slid into the room. Her breath caught as she watched it begin to slide along the edge of the room, the eyestalk a cold, lifeless blue as it peered around the room. The Dalek paused, eyestalk swiveling to look within the glass of an exhibit, then it moved on.

     Beckett realized with horror that the Dalek was checking the room for her. It would reach the display board soon enough. She peeked out from behind the display board, trying to get a better look at the room. The Dalek was still fairly close to the door it had come in through; if she ran to it, she'd be shot long before she reached it. There was another door at the other end of the room, but between the board and the door, there was nothing to hide her from the Dalek's view.

     She was trapped.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Castle and Tara raced through the halls, trying to reach the cry and the gunfire they're heard. The blasts were still going off. The writer's chest was tight with fear as they ran; who knew if Beckett had already been shot or not?

     As they raced down a corridor with exhibits lining the walls, someone rounded the corner and slammed straight into Tara. Castle reached out to steady her while the other person stumbled. He almost thought it was Beckett at first, but a closer looked proved it to be an older man, with a smaller alien on his back. Castle recognized them as Violet Dowess's husband, and Twi, the alien who'd been shot by the Daleks.

     Dowess's eyes widened when he saw Castle and Tara. “You're here?” he gasped in surprise.

     Before Castle could reply, a Dalek came around the corner, firing a shot that missed Tara's head by a few inches. “EX-TER-MI-NATE!” it cried.

     Castle pulled Dowess by the shoulder as he and Tara bolted back down the hallway, racing to keep out of the Dalek's reach. Shots rang out behind them, but none of them seemed to hit as the three hurried down the first corner they could find.

     As they ran, Tara glanced at Castle. “Think you could take Dowess and Twi and find somewhere safe to hide?”

     “Maybe,” Castle replied, aware of the Daleks rounding the corner behind them. “Why?”

     In reply, Tara veered away sharply, racing back the other way and running past the Dalek. It swiveled around to face her, obviously disoriented. “Oi, metal boy, over here!” She took out her gun and fired a few shots at the Dalek's metal skirt to prove her point. The bullets didn't seem to effect it at all, but it seemed to piss it off. The Dalek followed her as she bolted down the hall, crying, “EX-TER-MI-NATE!”

     Dowess gaped after her, but Castle knew they didn't have time to stop and think. “You heard her. Move!” He shoved Dowess and Twi forward, forcing them to hurry ahead of them while they ran out of the exhibit hall and towards the back exit.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The Dalek seemed pretty focused on the exhibit. Maybe if she made a run for it, it would take long enough for it to turn around that she'd reach the door before it got a shot off. She had to try. It was going to find her and kill her; this was her only chance.

     Beckett waited until the Dalek's attention was turned away from her, then she bolted. She raced for the door, but a shot a hair away from her face made her jump, ducking down to the ground with her back against the wall. Her heart was racing as glass rained down around her; the shot had hit the exhibit behind her. The Dalek was facing her, gun pointed directly at her.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Castle, Twi, and Dowess had made it to the back exit of the museum. "Your wife and the others are at the police station," Castle told Dowess as they slowed to a walk in the parking lot. "Take Twi there, you'll be safe to take him to a hospital or something."

     Dowess nodded nervously, but Twi glanced at Castle in surprise. "What about you?"

     The writer shook his head. "I have to go help Beckett," he told them, "Just let the Doctor know we're still here."

     Twi gave a little nod of understanding. Dowess, however, looked less than thrilled. "You're making us go alone?" he demanded, tone heavy with fear. "With those Dalek things still out there?"

     "Look, I'm sorry, but my partner needs my help. You'll be fine, just go straight to the station from here. I think the other Dalek's are still around the front of the building." Castle started back towards the building as he spoke, throwing the lady words over his shoulder as he ran for the door.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Beckett was trapped. That Dalek gun was pointed directly at her, and that cold eyestalk was staring her down, an emotionless blue glow.

     "PRI-SO-NERS ARE NOT PER-MI-TTED TO ESCAPE!" the creature shrieked, advancing towards her with the gun still pointed right at her chest. Beckett knew she only had a few seconds left before it fired.

     Her gaze flew desperately around the room. There had to be something, anything to get her out of this. The glass of the shattered exhibit still lay all around her in jagged shards, but it would be useless against the metal form of the Dalek. Inside the exhibit lay some pottery shattered by the blast, some baskets, and... wait, was that a gun?

     Beckett didn't give herself time to question it. She rolled to the side seconds before the Dalek fired off its shot, reaching into the broken exhibit and grabbing the gun. It seemed to warm up in her hands, as though coming alive. Without a moment's pause, she whirled back to face the Dalek and fired straight at the eyestalk.

     A huge jolt of electrical energy shot out of the gun, blasting metal casing of the Dalek apart. Beckett blinked in shock. The Dalek's head, or at least what she assumed was its head, was completely gone, and the metal skirt had been torn open by the force of the blast. Inside lay a little mutant, squid-like creature of some kind – Beckett assumed that was the actual Dalek. It appeared to be dead, and fairly mangled at that.

     Beckett glanced down at the gun in surprise. It was fairly large, about the length of her arm, and much thicker. It was made of some kind of rough material, almost like tree bark, but it seemed rougher to the touch. It felt warm in her hands; she could feel the energy _humming_ inside, ready to be released. Now that she had a moment to think, she found herself wondering why any museum would leave one of their displays loaded, but she couldn't exactly find herself too bothered by it. She had it, she assumed she still had some shots left in it, so she planned on using it.

     She glanced briefly at the dead Dalek. The Doctor seemed convinced that these creatures were the spawn of all evil, but she still felt regret tight in her chest, the same twinge of remorse that she felt whenever she had to use her weapon to put someone down. Taking a life was not something she did lightly, but in this case, it had been the only way to save her life.

     Now that she was safe, and armed, it was time to go find her companions and make sure they were safe too.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Castle hurried back through the building. He tried to find his way back to where he'd last seen Tara. After several minutes of searching, the various exhibit halls were all starting to look the same. He was starting to consider trying to text Beckett again when she heard a series of blasts, and a few sharper shots – a handgun. It had to be Tara.

     He took off after the sound, fully aware that he was rushing right into danger with no plan, no weapon, and no back-up. It didn't take long for him to reach the source of the sounds. There was a Dalek chasing Tara and one of the donors, a silver-haired young man with cat-like eyes. Tara noticed Castle as they raced towards him. "Run, what're you standing there for?!" She reached out and grabbed his arm, dragging him along with her and the donor.

     They raced down to the corner. Before they could turn down the next hall, another Dalek came out of the hall, blocking off the route. The two Daleks advanced towards them, backing the three into a corner. They were trapped.

     Castle kept his eyes on the Daleks as he whispered to Tara, "Think you could shoot one of those eyestalks fast enough?" Maybe they had a chance if they could blind one of the Daleks

     She gave a minute shake of her head. "Out of bullets," she admitted. Castle's blood froze at her words.

     One of the Daleks seemed to be shaking as it faced them. "THE PRI-SO-NERS ARE NOT PER-MITED TO ES-CAPE! YOU WILL O-BEY! O-BEY!" The metallic voice was even shrilled than usual. Castle wasn't sure, but he would have labelled that tone as one of fear.

     "Sure, we'll obey," Castle said quickly. He might not be a real cop, but he was a writer. Words were his weapons, maybe it could do them so good now. "We'll do whatever you want. Now that we know you better, we've learned better than to challenge the might of the Daleks. Just let us live." He raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. After a brief hesitation, Tara and the donor did the same.

     The Daleks hesitated, but after a few moments, they both raised their guns towards Castle, Tara, and the donor. "EX-TER-MI-NATE!" the other Dalek cried. Castle braced himself for the shot that was sure to follow, closing his eyes.

     Two loud blasts rang out. The writer flinched, but after a moment, realized he was neither in pain nor, presumably, dead. He cautiously reopened his eyes, only to blink in shock at the sight that awaited him. The Daleks's metal shells had been blasted to pieces, leaving Castle and the others unharmed. A few feet away, behind the Daleks, stood a lone woman and a very large gun. She raised an eyebrow as she glanced coolly at him. "You know, you should really be more careful, Castle. I can't always come running to your rescue when you get yourself in trouble."

     Castle felt an immense rush of relief at the sight of her unharmed, but he covered it quickly with a look of mock indignation. "Excuse me, but I believe I'm the one who came to save you from the clutches of the evil alien Nazis?"

     "And yet, I'm still the one who saves your ass from getting shot," she countered. He could see the grin she was trying and failing to hide, and he knew he wore one to match. She dropped her gun as they rushed towards each other, falling into each other's arms as they shared a passionate kiss, fueled by relief and joy of being alive.

     "Ahem." They pulled back in surprise, turned back to look at Tara and the donor. It was the sherif who had spoken. She was giving them an amused glance, brow raised as she said, "While this is all very sweet, can we focus on the Dalek situation for a minute here?"

     Castle have an awkward cough. "Right. Of course." They both took about a half-step back, although Castle kept his arm around Beckett's shoulder, and her arm remained around his waist.

     "When we escaped, one of the Daleks was chasing you, Detective Beckett," the silver-haired donor said in w voice smooth as a purr. Now that the danger was over, Castle was finally able to recall his name - Felix. "Is it still after you?"

     Beckett shook her head. "I took it out with that," she explained, nodding to the discarded gun. Felix went to pick it up. As he lifted it, the gun seemed to glow gold from the crevices, emitting a low _humming_ , like the sound of an electric current. Felix gave a start of surprise, but didn't drop the gun.

     Tara let out a low whistle. “I've heard of those, but they haven't been used in year, and not in this galaxy,” she remarked. When the others glanced at her in confusion, she explained, “It's a heat transference gun. Supposedly, it was built to be powered by the heat of the lifeform wielding it. Never did figure out how that was supposed to work, but there you have it.”

     Beckett glanced over the gun appraisingly. “Will it run out of shots?”

     “Not as far as I know, but it's probably very old,” Tara warned her. “I wouldn't push it.”

     The detective shrugged. “Either way, let's use it while we have it.”

     “But first, we have some calls to make.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, sorry if this chapter seems lazy or rushed at all. I got a little blocked while writing it. Writing continuous action is not my strong suit. And sorry for the wait, again, I was blocked, and rather busy with work.
> 
> Anyway, now Beckett and the other hostages are all out from under the Daleks - but there's still two Daleks guarding the TARDIS.
> 
> Still not sure how long this story will take - maybe three more chapters? Four? I'm honestly not sure. I'll just keep pumping out chapters until I'm done with the plot I've planned out.
> 
> And for those wondering, no, the possible sequel that I mentioned in "Married on the Moon" will not be happening. Let's just say I'm not exactly as much of a fan of Eleven and Moffat as I used to be, and I haven't watched any of Capaldi's seasons. If anyone would like to write a sequel with Castle and Beckett meeting up with Capaldi, be my guest - I just don't have the motivation for it.


	7. The Weakness of the Daleks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor tries to figure out how to save his friends.

     The Doctor was pacing again. It was the best way for him to think and plan without letting his fear for his friends catch up to him. It also had the added benefit of keeping anyone from asking him questions. He knew he had no answers to give, and it was making him cranky.

     Very little had been said since they had made it to the police station, besides when they had briefly contacted the Daleks to let them know they'd begun their search for a ship for them. Even Lewart seemed to be keeping quiet, for once. He was sitting with Fi on the couch in the lobby, while Ki was in Tara's office, sitting in her wheely chair, occasionally giving it an aimless spin. Violet Dowess was the only one standing besides the Doctor. She was leaning against the wall by the door, watching the Doctor's pacing with a tight expression. The Doctor couldn't tell what he was thinking, and he didn't spare if much thought. His priority right now was to figure out how to help his friends, stop the Daleks, and save this moon from being blown to pieces.

     Unfortunately, at the moment, he had very few ideas about how to do so. There were only five Daleks at the moment, but at full power, five Daleks would be enough to roast the planet alive and come back for seconds. He didn't want to kill them if he didn't have to. But he knew the Daleks. If he gave them a ship, they'd leave Swametel all right - only after decimating it for its trouble. As far as he knew, there was almost no safe way to imprison a Dalek. There was no Void to throw them into, no bomb to detonate, no self-destruct button. He was stumped.

     Apparently, his lack of ideas wasn't just apparent to himself. Lewart rose from the couch, glaring at the Time Lord. "For someone who's 'in charge' of this situation," he pointed out sharply, "you don't appear to be doing much about it."

     The Doctor bit back an irritated reply, settling for grumbling, "I'm thinking." Lewart really did have a point. For the one who had promised to save them all, he was doing a whole lot of saving and not a lot of saving. But he was hardly going to admit that to the human.

     Lewart snorted. "Thinking! Whole lot of good that's going to do us." He shook his head. "Sod it. I'm not leaving the fate of my museum in the hands of a lunatic. I'm leaving."

     The museum owner started to head for the door. The Doctor just stared after him, with little interest or patience. If Lewart wanted to go home, he had no reason to stop him. Violet Dowess, however, seemed to be thinking along different lines. As Lewart started to pass her, she asked dryly, "And where exactly do you plan to go?"

     Lewart glared at her, but paused to answer. "Home. And then I'm going to call someone who can _actually_ help."

     Fi gave a low grunt from the couch. "Like who? You saw what those Dalek things did to Twi." There was a tremor in his voice as he spoke. The Doctor felt a rush of sympathy - he had to be worried about his friend.

     "They're lunatic aliens with guns," Lewart said stiffly. "That doesn't make them indestructible, whatever the Doctor says. The military should be able to handle this, or at least make sure my museum doesn't get burned to the ground while we a sit back and do nothing. They have battleships and plasma guns and such, they can handle a couple of gliding salt shakers."

     Now the Doctor's attention was caught. “What? No, Lewart, you can't involve the military in this.” He abandoned his pacing and approached the museum owner and the donor.

     Lewart glared at the Doctor. “And why not?” he demanded.

     “Because none of their ships or guns or bombs will even leave a dent in one Dalek,” the Doctor told him seriously. Lewart's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything in reply. “The Dalek's metal casing is extremely durable. There's a external shield that will melt pretty much any bullet sent its way. Daleks have designed themselves to be the perfect killing machines. It would take heavily designed weaponry to even scratch the surface.”

     “Excuse me, sir, but the only proof we have of these creature's indestructibility thus far is your word, and that's not enough for me,” Lewart said sharply.

     He moved to try and leave, but to the Doctor's surprise, Violet Dowess moved to stand in his way. Her expression was tight and forbidding as she said coldly, “Mr. Lewart, I don't know the Doctor very well. I don't know whether we should trust our lives to him. But I saw what the Daleks did to Twi. They were going to kill my husband; it was only luck that they missed. And they didn't care that they'd hit the wrong man. All they cared was that they'd hurt someone. Those are the kind of people who are holding the people we care about prisoner. If we go against the Dalek's orders, they will not hesitate to kill all of them. I will not allow us to do anything that will endanger them, not until we know more.”

     Lewart had backed up a step from Violet Dowess, but after his initial surprise, his face grew red, and he drew himself up to his full height. “And doing nothing is so much better? We can't give them a ship, and we can't go back and help them. So tell me, what exactly can we do from here?”

     Before the fight could grow any fiercer, the door behind them all began to open. The Doctor stiffened, almost fearing a Dalek would glide through, but neither of the forms who passed through the door were metal or Dalek-shaped. After a moment, he recognized them as Violet Dowess's husband and the injured Twi, who was carried on his back. Violet cried out her husband's name in surprise, and Fi and Ki called out to Twi.

     Everyone immediately moved to help the two men. Dowess was panting from the long walk and carrying Twi; Violet let her husband lean against her while Lewart and the Doctor carried Twi to the sofa, laying him gently down. He was awake, which was a good sign. "How are you feeling?" the Doctor asked briskly, checking over the small alien for signs of injury.

     Twi stretched out on the couch, flinching at the movement. "Painful," he answered honestly. The Doctor was surprised by how clear his tone was. "Pretty much everything hurts. But not like I'm going to pass out."

     The Doctor hesitated. "Alright. Just rest, we'll get you some help." He sat back, resisting the urge to sigh. Now that he was sure Twi wasn't in any immediate danger of death, several questions were staring to come to mind. It was great that Twi was conscious and still alive, but by all logic, it should be impossible. Twi had been shot at point-blank range by a Dalek gun – he should be dead. The Doctor could not rationalize to himself how a Dalek's weapon could possibly be that weak, that it would leave a victim shot at such close range alive. He was utterly perplexed.

     Through his confused thoughts, he managed to hear Dowess speaking to the others. “That sheriff and the other fellow helped us escape. I tried to get him to come with us, but he said he had to stay, something about helping his friend.”

     The Doctor snapped out of his thoughts. “That must be Castle!” He got back to his feet, leaving Ki and Fi to tend to their friend while he turned his attention to Dowess. “He and Tara were both alright when you saw them?”

     “Yes. The last time I saw the sheriff, she was firing a gun at a Dalek as it was chasing her.”

     That was not a mental image the Doctor wanted to dwell on, so he moved onto his next question. “And the others? Were Felix and Beckett alive when you saw them?”

     Dowess seemed a bit taken aback by the Doctor's urgent tone. “Um, well, yes, they were running from Daleks last I saw of them.”

     Tight fear twisted in the Doctor's hearts. At least he knew they had all been alive an hour or so ago, but they could still be in terrible danger. “Alright. Fi, please phone the hospital and ask them for transport for Twi. He should be fine until they get here.” He wasn't sure how far the hospital was, but that did put something of a time limit on saving the museum. The hospital probably wouldn't ask too many questions while Twi was in immediate danger, but once he was being treated and the danger passed, the truth about the museum would get out, and the Doctor wouldn't be able to stop them from alerting someone who would try something foolish to stop the Daleks.

     Before Fi could obey, there was a ringing from the phone in Tara's office. The Doctor dashed over to answer it, leaving Fi to seek out a phone elsewhere in the station. "Hello?" he answered, fearful and hopeful all at once.  
    " _Doctor!_ " He felt an intense rush of relief at the sound of Beckett's voice.  
     He couldn't suppress a huge grin as he replied, "Nice to hear your voice again, Detective Beckett. Everyone alive on your end?"

     " _No casualties,_ " Beckett assured him. " _Apart from the Daleks, that is._ "

     The Doctor blinked. "What?"

     Beckett's voice held no triumph as she explained herself - the Doctor thought he even heard a note of regret. " _I found a weapon in the museum. A heat transference gun, according to Tara. Apparently it's from some alien species that tried to invade Earth a long time ago. It seems to work pretty well against Daleks. The three that were chasing us are dead._ "

     The Doctor was silent for a few moments as he tried to process this new information. He knew the type of gun Beckett was describing. It was a fairly powerful weapon, but not powerful enough to do much more than dent a Dalek's armor. That combined with the Dalek's shot not killing Twi, and how unhinged these Daleks seemed, had the Doctor completely baffled.

     There was something that had been in the back of his mind all day, something ticking away in the back of his brain, but he'd been too distracted to spend much thought on it. But now the thought occurred to him again. “Hold on, one moment Beckett.” He set the phone down and exited Tara's office, calling out to the donors, “The name. Swametel. I should've seen it before.”

     Violet, Dowess, and Lewart all exchanged baffled glances. “Seen what?” Dowess asked.

     He ignored the question for now. His brain was in full brainstorming force. Ignoring the donors, he turned his attention to Lewart, the only actual resident of the little town. “You're the museum owner. What's the town's history? Any legends, myths, even a rumor? Come on, anything?”

     Lewart still looked entirely perplexed by the Doctor's urgency, but he reluctantly answered, “There is one. Long ago, before anyone can remember, strange metal beasts landed on the planet. They attacked the town, laying it to waste. Only a few of the original species survived the massacre.”

     “How did they survive,” the Doctor asked.

     “No one's quite sure,” Lewart told him. “The legends only say the rocks took the beasts down into the soil, burying them for a thousand season's sleep.”

     The Doctor nodded. “Swametel. A very, very rough translation into Northern Sotho. Best way to translate it is 'sleeping metal.'” It fit with the legend.

     Violet stared incredulously at Lewart. “You knew all this, and you didn't think the metal creatures that were unearthed in this town were connected to it in any way?” she asked in disbelief.

     He looked a little uncomfortable. “I thought about it,” he defended himself. “But I didn't think it mattered. I thought it was more likely they were just weapons used by alien invaders, not actual sentient creatures. I wasn't even sure the legend was real, it's so old. And why does any of this matter?”

     “You said the rocks took the beasts into the soil.” The Doctor's mind was racing. “So a few thousand years ago, the Daleks land here, probably just these five, they do what Daleks do, killing anything in sight.” He was pacing rapidly now, shooting out his thoughts as they came to him. “Now let's see, rocks taking the beasts. A rockfall, maybe? Or maybe an earthquake? Either way, the Daleks are all swallowed up. The Daleks probably spent a good few hundred years trying to shoot their way out of the ground before they ran out of juice. Ooo, they must have been stuck very deep underground.”

     “Wait a minute. You're saying these Daleks have been alive for thousands of years without any sort of food or anything?” Violet questioned.

     He shrugged. “Dalek armor is set up to provide nutrients, it probably could have adapted to pull them from the soil around them.” It all made sense now. “Their guns are weak because they've been firing them for years on end trying to break free. And their armor's probably pretty beat up from being stuck under rocks and such, and a few thousand years underground, well, it's enough to drive anyone mad.”

     “But if the Daleks had a ship where they got here, where is it now?” Lewart asked. “And why don't they just use that instead of asking us for a new one?”

     “Probably either lost in the rockfall, or the survivors took it apart to use for their own uses. Either way, it's likely that the ship is either destroyed or missing. Once the Daleks were dug up out of the ground, they woke up again. It's been thousands of years, they're stranded on a planet they don't know with no way of contacting other Daleks and no way to leave, or attack. And lo and behold, their oldest enemy shows up.” The Doctor couldn't hold back a small smile of triumph. “The Daleks are all but helpless. They need my help.”

     Violet and her husband exchanged a glance. “So what do we do?” she asked the Doctor.

     That was the more important question, but suddenly it seemed a lot less difficult to answer. “I don't know. But I'll figure it out.” He left the donors behind, returning briskly to Tara's office and picking up the phone once more. “Still there, Detective?”

     “ _Yep. What's up?_ ”

     He relayed what Lewart had told him, and his own suspicions. “Have you seen any sign of the Daleks that were still outside?”

     “ _Not a peep,_ ” Beckett assured him. “ _You think they know that we killed these three?_ ”

     “If they haven't come after you, probably not,” the Doctor told her. “Either that, or they think guarding the TARDIS is more important. It doesn't matter. What matters is that they're a lot weaker than I thought. And now there's only two of them left.”

     There was a pause on the other end. “ _What do you want us to do?_ ” Beckett asked calmly. “ _Kill them?_ ” Her tone was completely cool, betraying no hesitation. It was clear that while she took no joy in the thought, that if she believed it was the only way to save this planet, she would kill the Daleks without reservation.

     It would have been so easy to say yes. The Doctor knew how dangerous the Daleks were. He'd killed Daleks before, he didn't doubt that he'd do it again in the future. He hated them more than anything in the universe. But these Daleks were so weak, far weaker than he'd thought. There was a tiny, tiny chance that they could incapacitate them without killing them. And if there was even the slightest chance that this wouldn't have to end in death, he had to try.

     “No. Not if you don't have to.” A plan was starting to come to his mind. “Listen, stay on the line. I'm going to be communicating with the Daleks and letting them think we're finding a ship for them. In the meantime, I want you to start searching the museum. There might be something in there we can use to stop the Daleks.”

     “ _Alright. We'll keep you posted on what we find._ ”

     The Doctor felt a thrill of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could get out of this without anyone dying at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's not quite three thousand words, but it's close. Ah well.
> 
> We're getting close to the end here. I've finalized my plans for the next few chapters, and I've actually got a solid idea of how many chapters there should be, finally. At the very least, there'll be ten total chapters, but I think I might be able to get to eleven chapters - just as many as A Murder Takes Manhattan.
> 
> Sorry if this chapter was boring at all - there should be more action in the next few chapters.
> 
> I also apologize if anything I said here with the Daleks was unrealistic according to Who canon - I planned the whole Daleks-trapped-by-a-rockfall-for-thousands-of-years thing two years ago.


	8. One Way Or Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beckett and the others search for a means to trap the Daleks.

     Beckett slipped her phone back in her pocket, for now. She would call the Doctor back when she'd found something.

     Tara and Castle had been watching out for Daleks while Beckett had spoken with the Doctor, Felix sticking by her side. Now that she's hung up, they started to head back towards her. "Is there a plan?" Tara asked.

     "Yes. Find something in the exhibits to stop the Daleks." Beckett picked up her gun again, feeling it shudder back to life in her hands. She started down one of the hallways, Tara, Castle, and Felix following her.

     Felix raised an eyebrow, glancing at the large gun in her arms. "That seems to work rather well," he pointed out.

     Beckett shook her head. "We're not killing the Daleks unless we have to," she told him firmly. "We need to find something to trap them, or maybe shut down their weapons. Something non-lethal."

     Felix and Tara shared a dubious glance. Evidentially, they didn't feel hopeful about getting out of this alive without the Daleks dying. Beckett felt a brief moment of uncertainty. She had no authority here. No badge, no detectives to back her up or system to support her. If Tara or Felix decided to kill one of the Daleks, Beckett wasn't sure she could stop them.

     She was brought out of her thoughts by the feeling of a warm hand around here. Castle was beside her, giving her a reassuring grin. "Well, this _is_ a museum. A really, really _cool_ alien museum. There's gotta be something we can use here." His grin turned smug as he added, "I told you going to the museum was a good idea."

     Any uncertainty or doubts she had were instantly cleared away when she saw that dorky grin of his, and felt the warmth of his hand in hers. Beckett had her partner back. She knew he would stand by her side on this, and for now, that was more than enough.

     Now that she was more confident, she threw herself into full focus, putting herself back in the mindset she took whenever she was on a case. "You're right," she said in a cool, clipped tone before glancing back at the Silurian sheriff. "Tara, you're the one who knows the museum best. Any clue where we could find what we need?"

     Tara still looked a little uncertain about the plan, but she nodded with a grin. "I have some ideas," she replied.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The sheriff led them to a wing of the museum labelled, _"The Miskreeial War."_

      Tara explained as they entered the wing, "A few centuries ago, there was this huge war on Earth with these alien invaders, the Koorin. The humans managed to beat them back, but it took a few good years. There should be plenty of good tech from the war that we can use."

     There certainly was an impressive assortment of weaponry. Guns, bombs, shattered bits and pieces of ships, vaguely weapon-ish looking things that Beckett didn't recognize, the exhibits were full of them, lining every wall. Each exhibits was labelled, but so far, none of them said anything like "non-lethal" or "tranquilizer" or anything that would suggest their purpose wasn't to kill.

     "Well, the human race seems to have a knack for building things meant to kill other people," Beckett noted with distaste. She herself carried a gun as a necessary part of her job, but seeing all these new and improved ways to kill didn't exactly thrill her. She knew all too well how determined some people were to kill and hurt other humans, and seeing even more powerful tools for that end didn't fill her with a lot of hope.

     Apparently, however, she was the only one thinking along those lines. Castle was staring at a particularly large, future-techy looking gun with unrestrained awe. "That thing is so _cool!_ " he declared. The writer looked back hopefully at his girlfriend. "Can we get one?"

     Beckett's amusement overshadowed her dark mood, which she suspected had been Castle's intent. "I don't think Lewart would appreciate us stealing one of his exhibits," she answered dryly.

     "We're already here to take one of his exhibits," Castle pointed out. "We can just tell him the Daleks took it."

     Tara and Beckett both answered with a firm, "No," at the same time.

     While they were focused on Castle and his childishness, Felix's attention had been caught by a different exhibit. He'd walked towards it to get a closer look, the other three not even noticing that he wasn't beside them. As they started to walk away, Felix called out, "You think this might work?"

     Beckett glanced back at Felix, heading over to see what he was looking at. Four metal discs were lying inside, with the label declaring them to be an, _"Electro-pulse net."_

     The word "net certainly seemed promising. "How does it work?" Beckett asked.

     "Apparently, when the four discs are arranged on a surface and turned on, they'll be aware of any motion around them," Felix reported. He was reading the description below the label. "If any life form walks into the area formed by the four discs, they'll activate, forming a sort of electric net that holds the life form trapped inside without killing them."

     Castle and Beckett shared a surprised glance. "That sounds like exactly what we were looking for," the writer remarked.

     "It's perfect," Beckett agreed. "Great job, Felix." Now they just had to hope that the discs could still work.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The ambulance had arrived for Twi a few minutes ago. The Doctor hung back as the small alien was loaded into the ambulance, wrapped up in thought. Beckett had hung up a few minutes ago, promising to call back if she found anything. Now that the ambulance was here, they had a limited time to stop and contain the Daleks before someone realized what was going on. And even if no one at the hospital discovered what was happening at the musuem, it would be daylight in a few hours, and people would think the museum was open and start arriving. They needed to move fast.

     Lewart had offered to accompany Twi to the hospital, but the injured alien had declined. The Doctor was pretty sure everyone knew Lewart would alert exactly the wrong people to the museum if left to his own devices. Fi and Ki planned to go to the hospital with Twi, while Violet and her husband had decided to stay and help. The Doctor was a little surprised by their offer, but didn't really have any reason to refuse. He was hoping Beckett and Castle would be abe to handle the Daleks at their end, but if something went wrong, he got the feeling he was going to need some help.

     After the ambulance was all loaded up and had left, the screen on the machine in Tara's office received an incoming message. The Doctor pulled up the screen, fighting back a wave of revulsion when an image of a Dalek filled the screen. The creature was standing by the intercom it had used before, still outside the front of the building. It must have used the security camera recording it and somehow sent the footage to Tara's machine. “ _DOC-TOR,_ ” it greeted shrilly.

     The Doctor forced a cold, almost feral smile. “Hello, Dalek. How can I help you?” He made no effort to hold back his bitter sarcasm.

     “ _WHERE IS THE SHIP?_ ” The Dalek's voice was even shriller than usual, and the eyestalk seemed to almost be trembling. And now the Doctor knew why.

     “I think I've almost found one you can use,” the Doctor lied smoothly. He needed the Daleks to think he was making a real effort to help them. Beckett might not be a hostage anymore, but if the Daleks got suspicious too early, she could still be in danger.

     “ _BRING US A SHIP! NOW! NOW!_ ” the Dalek ordered wildly.

     The Doctor glared at the metal creature. “Give me more time,” he snapped. “I can't just materialize a ship out of thin air. “I've almost got one. Just hold on a bit longer.”

     The Dalek was silent for a few moments, staring at the Doctor with a cold, emotionless blue glow. Finally, it cried, “THE DOC-TOR WILL DELIVER THE SHIP, OR HIS COM-PAN-IONS WILL DIE!” With that, the connection was severed, and the screen went blank.

     The Time Lord sighed, turning away from the computor. The two remaining Daleks were clearly getting restless. If Beckett was going to do something, she would have to hurry, before the Daleks decided to act first.

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Everything set up?” Tara asked as she approached the others.

     Castle told her, “All set and ready to go.” The four discs were laid out on the ground, creating a large, square-ish area between the four of them. Two of them were laid right up against the wall, and the other two left enough room between the wall and the discs for a human to fit through – but not a Dalek. “They've all been switched on. The first creature that passes through gets trapped,” he added.

     She grinned. “Excellent. The Daleks are still outside. They don't seem to suspect anything. Felix is still keeping an eye on them, I promised to meet him back there in a few minutes.

     Beckett gave a short nod. “Alright. When you reach him, let him know it's time to get this plan moving.”

     “Alright,” Tara replied easily. “What do you want us to do?”

     “Get the Daleks' attention. You'll need them to chase you back here. But be careful. Don't take unnecsary risks. Just bring them here, and stay a reasonable distance away,” Beckett instructed briskly.

     “And don't get shot,” Castle added helpfully.

     Tara chuckled. “Will do. We'll be careful, don't worry.” With that, she turned and headed back down the hallway, off to find Felix.

     Beckett let out a slow breath. They were standing behind the four discs, ready to confront the Daleks when they arrived. Now that the plan was being put into motion, she knew she had to call the Doctor and let him in on the plan.

     “Keep an eye out for Tara and Felix,” she told Castle before pulling out her phone. She turned and walked a few paces away as she dialed the number for the station again.

     It only took moments for the Doctor to pick up. “ _Beckett? How are things on your end?_ ”

     “Good. We think we've found a way to trap the Daleks.” Beckett quickly explained their plan to the Time Lord.

     " _Electro-pulse net?_ " he inquired. " _I haven't seen one of those in a few decades. They're not exactly the biggest and best tech or power-wise. Are you sure they'll hold the Daleks?_ "

     Beckett felt a pang of concern, absently sweeping some of her hair out of her face, back behind her shoulder. "No," she admitted. "But we need to try something, and I think this is our best shot. Besides, if that doesn't work, at least they'll be standing still long enough for Plan B." The gun was lying just behind the discs, cold and dull now that it wasn't being carried. She didn't exactly relish the thought of more death, but she wouldn't hesitate to do what had to be done to protect herself and these people.

     There was a sigh on the other end. " _You're right. Good luck, detective._ "

     "I'll call you when it's over," Beckett promised. She declined to add the unspoken, _one way or another._ She hung up, then turned back towards Castle. "Any sign of them?"

     Castle shook his head. "Not yet." He glanced at her, an unusually solemn set to his expression. "I keep thinking about Alexis and my mother. If I die here, they'll never know what happened to me."

     Beckett was surprised by how serious Castle's mood had become. The writer had seemed fairly cheerful through the whole ordeal, even once the Daleks became a threat. It was his way to crack jokes and keep the mood light, even through danger and the burden of solving grim cases. And with the addition of aliens and a whole new planet to explore, he'd been acting like a child on Christmas all day.

     But she could understand his concerns as well. Being on a far off planet in a far away time was a gift she never could have imagined, but it came with a cost. They had left their whole world behind; if something happened to them, they could lose everything they'd ever known.

     Her blood froze for a few moments at the thought of her dying and her father never learning the truth of what had happened to her. Would he think she'd been murdered on the streets, like her mother? Would he turn to drink again? And he wasn't her only family anymore. Martha and Alexis meant so much to her, they had been family for longer than she'd been willing to admit. The thought of them grieving for her and Castle, left with no answers or closure, terrified her.

     The detective shook her head once sharply, to clear her thoughts. She smiled at Castle, reaching out to grab his hand. Her fingers entertained with his as she told him, "I know. It scares me too. But we're both getting out of this alive." She gave her boyfriend's hand a squeeze, with her voice full of confidence. "We're going to beat the Daleks, then we're going back to New York and back to Alexis and Martha, and Ryan and Espo, and Lanie."

     "At this point, I think I'd be glad to see Gates again," Castle joked.

     Beckett's eyebrows flew up at the thought of Castle being happy to see the captain. That, if nothing else, demonstrated how homesick he was. But she supposed she couldn't blame him. Visiting Swametel had been amazing, and she would always be grateful for having the chance to take that one trip. But it had also taught her, more clearly than ever, that her home was New York. She belonged there, in the city, on Earth, not in the TARDIS traveling the universe. She had a family back there, a job and a calling that needed her. As amazing as their day had been, she knew she could never live her life this way.

     Castle gave her a grateful smile, the dark concern fading from his expression. After a few moments, amusement sparked in his eyes. “You know, Epsosito and Ryan are going to _kill_ us when they find out we went on a trip in time and space without them,” he joked.

     Beckett chuckled. “Yeah, I bet they would.” There was a pause. Both of their expressions faded from amusement to faint horror as they realized just how true Beckett's words were. She and Castle shared a mildly panicked glance. “We never speak of this to them,” she said firmly.

     “Agreed,” Castle replied quickly.

     Before either of them could say anything else, there was the distant sound of shooting. Castle and Beckett both froze. The blasts started to sound closer and closer. There was a call from the distance; “We've got Daleks!” It was Felix's voice, and not too far away either. They were almost there.

     Beckett and Castle seperated. The detective leaned down and grabbed the gun, feeling it warm up in her arms. Time to end this, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I'm so sorry how long this took to update. See, first I was busy working, then I was busy moving into college again for the new semester, then I was sick, then I was at Figure Skating Nationals. So yeah, here, finally, is the new chapter. And it's not even 3000 words. -_- Ah well, I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> I had fun with that Beckett and Castle conversation. I love seeing those two interact, and they're fun to write. Beckett's definitely a strong, confident female character like Molly, but they're definitely different too. It's nice writing for her.
> 
> Oh yeah, and did I mention I went to watch Figure Skating Nationals? Because I did. And I saw amazing skating. And I met people and took pictures. Here are some of said pictures. Because pictures.
> 
> (I'm the one in the gray coat in yellow scarf, by the way)
> 
> I WILL ADD THE PHOTOS TOMORROW ONCE I'VE GONE THROUGH THEM ALL.


	9. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beckett and the others put their plan to trap the Daleks into actions.

     Tara and Felix rounded the corner, tearing away from the the gunshots behing them as fast as their feet could carry them. Only a few seconds later, the Daleks followed them, shrieking, “EX-TER-MI-NATE! EX-TER-MI-NATE!” The two ducked their heads, trying to avoid the shots from behind them.

     “Hurry up!” Beckett cried out, flattening herself against the wall to keep out of the Dalek's shots, Castle right beside her.

     The sheriff and donor reached the four discs on the ground, hurrying past the discs and staying close against the wall. The Daleks were only a few paces behind now; one shot whizzed past dangerously close to Felix's shoulder. Both metal creatures continued to pursue them, passing through the area between the four discs. As soon as they both passed the first two discs, all four discs lit up with a yellow glow. Electric bolts of light zapped between the discs, coming to form a dome shape around the Daleks. They cried out in surprise and fury, shooting wildly at the electric field holding them in, but with no effect.

     Beckett and the others slowly came to stand before the Daleks. Tara and Felix were staring wide-eyed at them, as though shocked the net was actually holding them. The sheriff let out a little surprised laugh, her surprise quickly becoming relieved triumph. “Damn, looks like the big, bad Daleks can't get out of a little net!” She let out a whoop of laughter, slinging an arm over Felix's shoulder as they both beheld the Daleks.

     Castle and Felix were slowly starting to pick up on Tara's joy, but Beckett was more reserved. This wasn't over until the Daleks were either dead or off the planet. She approached the Daleks, expression completely cool. “You won't be getting out of there anytime soon,” she informed the creatures evenly, “so you may as well listen to what we have to say.” The detective was in full professional mode now. Lives hung in the balance, the lives of the Daleks, and the inhabitants of this planet, and whether there would be more death or not all hung on the conversation that was to come. Beckett knew that the responsibility of making sure that everyone got out of this alive was now hers. She wasn't about to screw this up.

     Somehow, the cold, glowing eyestalks of the Daleks managed to glare black hatred at her. “DA-LEKS DO NOT NE-GO-TI-ATE!” one of them declared in a furious screech.

     “You don't have a whole lot of choice,” Beckett replied coolly. “Now, let's examine the situation. Your three buddies are dead, you don't have a working ship, no back-up, and you're trapped in a net with no way of getting out, completely at the mercy of the humans and aliens you took hostage. I think you'll find that your only chance at survivng at this point is to talk to us.”

     The Dalek that had spoke earlier began to tremble, shrieking, “WE WILL NOT NE-GO-TI-A-”

     “EN-OUGH!” the other Dalek snapped, cutting off its companion. Of the two Daleks, this seemed to be the more sane. It swiveled its eyestalk to glare at Beckett. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” it demanded.

     “You, off of this planet,” Beckett told them. “See, we have this ship, like you wanted, but you're going to be bound when we get it. You're going to be taken, like prisoners, to some desert rock where you won't be able to hurt anyone ever again.”

     That cold blue glow stared out at her. “WHAT IS THE AL-TER-NA-TIVE SCEN-A-RI-O?”

     “You can die,” she replied bluntly. “The only way this ends is with you no longer being a threat. Whether that end leaves you alive or not is up to you.” She raised her gun a hair to prove her point. It wasn't a bluff – if the Daleks didn't agree to leave these people in peace, she would shoot them where they stood.

     The Dalek glared evenly at her. “I PROPOSE A THIRD OP-TION,” it declared.

     Beckett didn't so much as blink. “What's that?” she asked coolly.

     “YOU ALL DIE.”

     “Beckett, look out!” Felix called out.

     While Beckett had been speaking with the first Dalek, the second Dalek had been eyeing the discs. The moment the first Dalek finished speaking, the second fired a single shot at one of the discs. A shower of sparks flew from the thing as it was torn apart by the blast, and the net began to fizzle out of existence. Before the Dalek could turn its gun on them, however, Beckett already had her gun lifted and had fired a shot off at the Dalek. The shell was blasted apart, killing the Dalek instantly. Beckett tried to turn her gun on the second Dalek, it fired at the gun, burning a hole right through the center of it. She dropped the now-useless gun in shock.

     “Run!” she ordered. She and the others bolted down the hallway, narrowly missing a shot fired in their direction.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The Doctor was starting to get antsy. It had been several minutes since Beckett's last call. He'd tried to call her back, but she wasn't answering. The Time Lord was beginning to worry that her negotiations with the Daleks had gone awry. Which likely meant that she and the others were fleeing two very angry very dangerous Daleks, and he was currently useless to them in the station. He'd resorted to pacing about the station while Violet Dowess and her husband watched from the sofa.

     Finally, he gave a growl of frustration, pausing his pacing and absently straightening his bowtie. “It's been too long. I'm going to go see if they're alright.” He turned to the donors on the sofa. “If Beckett calls back, tell her I'm heading to the museum.” If she and the others had drawn the Daleks' attention, that likely meant the TARDIS was unguarded. He could use it to extract Beckett and Castle from whatever danger they'd likely gotten themselves into. After that, he wasn't sure. The Daleks still had to be dealt with, but he had no idea how.

     He started to head for the door. To his surprise, Violet rose to her feet, coming to stand beside him. “I'd like to come with you,” she said primly, gaze sharp with determination. “My husband is safe, but that detective woman and the sheriff and her friends are still in danger, aren't they? You might need help over there.”

     The Time Lord hesitated. On on the one hand, he didn't really want to drag someone new into his battle with the Daleks if he didn't have to, and Violet Dowess didn't really seem like the type to do well in a fight. On the other, he could use all the help he could get to save his friends, especially when there were Daleks involved. Finally, he gave a stiff nod. “Alright.” He pushed past the door, Violet right beside him.

     They had a long way to get to the museum.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Castle supposed he should've seen it coming. Just trapping the Daleks like that, it would've been too easy. They just _had_ to get out of the net, they just _had_ to destroy Beckett's very handy very large gun, they just _had_ to start chasing them through the bloody museum. Really, he should've been more genre savvy than that. At least there was only one left.

     They'd managed to slip down a side passage for now, out of the Dalek's sight. All four of them were flat against the wall, Castle peering around the corner to keep an eye out for the Dalek. “Any sign of it,” Tara asked in a hushed whisper.

     Without taking his eyes off the hallway, Castle replied, “Not yet. Can't be far behind us though.”

     “So what's the plan?” Felix asked, his yellow gaze darting anxiously from them to the hallway.

     Beckett seemed to be the most calm and collected of them all, which didn't surprise Castle in the least. Her voice was totally cool and professional as she said, “We've got no net, no gun, and one very pissed off, desperate Dalek. It knows it doesn't have any hostages or backup anymore and that it's not getting its ship. My guess is, it's in a mood to lash out at anyone he finds. We need to stop it, however we can.”

     “Good plan,” Castle quipped. “Um. How exactly do we stop it?”

     His girlfriend glanced further down the hallway behind them. “We need to try to find our way back to the Miskreeial exhibit. There were weapons there we could use.”

     “No way we'll get there without the Dalek spotting us long enough to find something,” Tara whispered. “We need to distract it.”

     Castle glanced briefly at Beckett. “We should split up,” he told her. “Felix and I could distract it, while you and Tara find something we could use to kill it.” It made more sense for Beckett and Tara to go weapon-hunting; they were more knowledgable in that area.

     She gave a short nod. “Good plan.”

     The writer noticed the Dalek coming down the hallway, slowly gliding towards them and glancing around, as though searching for them. “We've got company,” Castle warned the others.

     “You go, we'll find the weapons,” Beckett returned.

     Castle and Beckett shared a brief glance, an unspoken exchange of _good luck,_ , before Castle and Felix raced into plain view of the Dalek, hurrying down another side hall as the creature shot at them.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The Doctor and Violet's walk to the museum passed without incident. Streetlamps and houses around them were still the main source of light, but the sky was beginning to get brighter. Sunrise wasn't far off. They had to hurry.

     As the approached the front of the museum, the Doctor kept a wary eye out for Daleks, but he didn't see either of them about. His TARDIS was there though, unguarded and completely unharmed. He couldn't help but smile as they walked up to her, reaching out a hand to pat the blue door. “Hello, old girl.”

     Violet gave him an odd glance. “Are you speaking to the box?” she asked with a dubious arch of her eyebrow.

     He ignored her as he drew his key out of his pocket, swiftly unlocking the door and pushing it open. The TARDIS gave a warm _hum_ as he and Violet walked inside, as if in greeting. Violet was gaping around the console room, but the Doctor didn't have time to explain relative dimensions to her. He strode over to the console, firing up the monitor and pulling a few levers and flipping dials.

     “What exactly are you doing?” Violet had managed to regain her voice it seemed, and fairly quickly as well. The Time Lord was impressed. “And what is this place?” She followed him to the console, glancing over his shoulder.

     He looked back briefly at her, sparing her a reassuring smile as he explained, “This is my ship. She's very powerful and impressive, and right now, she's our best bet at finding my friends.” Right now, he had no idea where to start looking for the Daleks or for Beckett and the others. They could be anywhere in the museum. The best way to find them was to try to find some kind of life sign or signal on the TARDIS, and track it down. If he managed to track down a Dalek rather than a friend, he'd deal with that later. Right now, he had to do something to help.

     “Come on, old girl,” he said quietly, twisting a dial as he focused on the monitor, “Help me find them.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     After Castle and Felix ran off, Beckett and Tara hung around by the hallway. They hid there, watching the Dalek chase after their friends, until they were all out of sight. Then, they headed off for the exhibit.

     “I thought I saw a plasma blaster,” Tara mentioned as they strode briskly down the hallway. The Silurian was in the lead, as she knew the way better. “That might be able to pierce the Dalek's shell.”

     Beckett replied, “Well, whatever we use, we better make sure it's powerful. I doubt we're gonna get more than one shot at this thing.” She didn't want to think about what would happen if they didn't hit it on the first try.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Castle and Felix were fleeing the Dalek down a long, narrow hall. The creature was several paces behind them, but there was little room to dodge its shots. The writer's legs were screaming in protest, but he forced himself to keep going.

     One shot flew past Castle's hip, uncomfortably close. He heard Felix cry out in pain, and something hit the ground. Castle slowed, looking back over his shoulder. Felix had crumpled to the ground, alive, but in clear pain. “My leg!” he hissed, his pupils narrowed into thin slits of pain.

     Castle didn't hesitate. He doubled back, forcing Felix to his feet and letting the alien lean his weight against him. The Dalek was uncomfortably close now, but Castle managed to half push half lead Felix quickly enough around the nearest corner to avoid another shot.

     They'd found themselves in a wide exhibit area, with a lot of displays of different kinds scattered throughout the room. The Dalek hadn't rounded the corner yet; there was just enough time to hide. He practically dragged Felix behind a wide metal display. There was a small area under the display, blocked from view on one side, just large enough for Castle and Felix to squeeze under. The alien flinched as they squeezed inside, but he was doing remarkably well at not calling out in pain.

     Both of them froze at the sound of a familiar _whirring_ outside. The Dalek was in the room now. They heard it moving around, dangerously close. Castle's breath caught; he could hear his heart pounding and his chest tighten with terror. Felix's leg was pretty badly injured; if the Dalek found them, there would be no way to run.

     There was a brief silence. Castle couldn't see the Dalek; he had no idea how close it was or if it knew they were there. The silence seemed to stretch on for ages, the only sound Castle's own terrified heart. Finally, the _whirring_ resumed, only more muffled now, as if from a distance. Castle heard the Dalek move away from them, going farther and farther from the exhibit hall, until he could no longer hear it.

     Felix let out a shaky laugh. “It's gone,” he breathed, eyes lit with relief and pain. But Castle didn't join him in his joy. He thought he had a good idea of the direction the Dalek had gone, and that was back they way they'd come. Which was the way to get to Beckett.

     He pulled out his phone, typing out a quick message to Beckett. _“Dalek heading your way. Be careful.”_ They had done all they could to distract the Dalek. He could only hope he'd bought her enough time.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Beckett and Tara had just reached the exhibit when the detective's phone buzzed. She pulled it out, bringing up the new message. What she saw made her pause for a moment.

     “Everything alright?” Tara asked uncertainly, trying to read the detective's expression.

     She gave a stiff nod. “The Dalek's on its way,” she explained, stuffing her phone back in her pocket. “We need to hurry.” Beckett's gaze darted around the exhibit, at the various artifacts behind thick glass. “Let's find that weapon.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     “There!” Violet declared, pointing out a blip on the monitor. She was still watching over the Doctor's shoulder. “Is that what you were looking for?”

     The Doctor immediately locked onto the signal. It faded almost immediately, but he'd targeted it, and now the TARDIS was locked onto the location. “It's an electronic signal,” he explained briefly to Violet. “Looks like a text between phones.”

     “Is it your friends?”

     He grinned, excitement and relief coursing through him. “It must be.” Without warning, he rushed around to the other end of the console with a sudden burst of energy. Violet watched, totally baffled as he threw levers, pushed buttons, and flipped dials to start the TARDIS's flight sequence. The ship began to shake and shudder as they were thrown into the Time Vortex. He saw Violet stumble forward, catching herself on the console. They were on their way.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Castle and Felix were still huddled in relative silence. The silver-haired alien's breathing was ragged and heavy, teeth clenched tight in pain. His leg didn't seem to be broken, but it was in excrutiating pain. He wasn't saying a whole lot at this point. Castle could tell it was getting worse the longer they waited around.

     Suddenly, a familiar _vworpp, vworpp_ started to echo around them. Castle turned around in surprise to see the TARDIS materializing a few paces away. Felix stiffened beside him. “What the hell is that thing?” he hissed, yellow eyes widening in fear.

     Castle let out a laugh of relief. He clapped a hand on Felix's shoulder as he told him, “That, my friend, is the cavalry.”

     The moment the TARDIS was fully materialized, the door burst open, and the Doctor rushed out, face lighting up with relief when he saw them. “Castle!” He knelt beside them, his gaze darting quickly over the clearly-injured Felix. “What happened? Where's Beckett?” Another woman followed him out of the TARDIS. She looked vaguely familiar, but Castle didn't have time to try and place it.

     “She's in the Miskreeial exhibit, she and Tara,” Castle explained urgently. “There's only one left, but it's after them. We have to help them”

     The Doctor glanced briefly between him and Felix. “We will, Castle,” he promised. “But it looks like Felix needs help first. We need to get him into the TARDIS.”

     The woman crouched beside them, eyes sharp with determination. “Well then, let's get moving, before that monster comes back.” She lifted Felix's arm, looping it around her shoulders and pulling him up to his feet. The Doctor supported him on his other side, leaving Castle to follow behind as they helped him limp into the TARDIS.

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Couldn't they have built this stuff to be a little more fragile?”

     They'd found a couple of promising weapons behind one of the glass cases. Unfortunately, it seemed Beckett had been lucky earlier when the Dalek had blasted the glass open for her. No matter what Beckett and Tara threw at it, no matter how many times they hurled their shoulders, their elbows against it, the glass wouldn't even so much as budge.

      _“EX-TER-MI-NATE!”_

     Beckett stiffened. That cry hadn't come from that far away. “We need to speed this up.” They rammed into the glass together with their shoulders. The glass shuddered at the impact, but still nothing.

     The detective had just enough time to hear the Dalek's _whirring_ get closer and see the eyestalk start to come around the corner to shove Tara down. “Get down!” She and Tara ducked down in time to avoid a shot right above their head. The glass shattered above them; Beckett took a quick glance up to see if any of the weapons were near enough to grab, but this time the Dalek's shot had damaged them too.

     She scrambled away from the broken glass, fighting to get to her feet and get away from the Dalek as quickly as possible. Tara was doing the same, bolting in the opposite direction. As Beckett ducked behind a display, the Dalek whirled on Tara, firing more shots at her. “EX-TER-MI-NATE! EX-TER-MI-NATE!” Tara managed to hide herself behind a pedestal with a glass case on top, but it wasn't large enough to hide all of herself, and the Dalek was still coming at her. “EX-TER-MI-NATE!” Several of its shots hit other displays.

     Beckett's gaze darted around the room, desperate to find something, anything to fight the Dalek with. She saw Tara hiding desperately behind the display, saw the Dalek, a broken glass exhibit and busted weapons, some damaged displays sparking – wait, sparking?

     A quick look confirmed it. The display was powered by some kind of electricity. The Dalek shooting it had exposed some of the wiring, and now the thing was sparking like mad. The beginnings of a plan started to come to Beckett's mind. She wasn't sure it would work, but she had to try something.

     Before it could shoot Tara, Beckett rushed out from behind her display and ran straight at the thing, shoving it with all her might. Tara took a quick look at Beckett, then the disply, and caught on. She joined in, helping Beckett shove the Dalek back, towards the display. The creature fell back, gliding back wildly, right into the display.

     As soon as it hit the display, blue jolts of electricity began to run through the Dalek. It began to scream, shrill and sharp and loud. Beckett and Tara backed up, watching as the thing convulsed and screamed.

     Eventually, the screams faded. The Dalek's lights and eyestalk went dim, and its apprendages drooped. Electricity still ran through its metal form, but it wasn't moving anymore. Beckett could tell – it was dead.

     She and Tara turned to look at each other in shock. That was the last of the Daleks, dead. They'd done it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, still not totally thrilled with how this chapter turned out. Ah well, the story's almost done.
> 
> Anyway, here's the newest chapter for you. All the Daleks are dead, world is saved, yada yada. There's just gonna be one more chapter to wrap things up, then an epilogue. I just hope I can finish that in a timely fashion.
> 
> Also, I may have previously mentioned that I've started watching Buffy. I just gotta say - it's really weird to write this chapter when the show I'm watching also has a character named Tara, very different from the one I'm writing.


	10. Looking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, Beckett and the gang reflect on the day's events.

     Morning had come and gone for Swametel. The planet's authorities had finally been involved, thanks to Lewart calling them at the hospital. They weren't pleased to hear they hadn't been called earlier, but as the Daleks were dead, there wasn't much they could do about. They were, however, very interested to learn how the Daleks had come to be in the museum's exhibits so quickly, and whether they'd gone through the proper inspections and quarrentine before being rushed into the public spotlight. Beckett wasn't sure whether he would face any jail time, but she knew the authorities would be causing him all kinds of headaches for a long time, and she couldn't really find herself too upset about that.

     Everyone had gotten out alive, much to Beckett's relief. They'd gotten a call from the hospital saying that Twi was still alive, and doing much better now. Felix had apparently gotten shot by the Dalek in the hip, but after a few hours in the TARDIS's med bay, he was standing with the aid of a cane. No one else had gotten killed, or even injured. Considering how powerful the Daleks were and how unstable and trigger-happy they'd been, Beckett knew it was nearly a miracle more damage hadn't been done.

     Tara walked over from the group of aliens in suits, shaking her head. “Freaking suits, always talking in circles.” She rejoined them by the front desk, where they'd all been hanging around since the feds had questioned each of them. Violet Dowess was the only one absent. She had stayed for a while, answering the feds' questions, but in the end they'd agreed to let her leave to return to her husband. Beckett was still surprised how much of a part the haughty woman had played in saving their lives, but in the end, she supposed she had misjudged her.

     The sheriff's voice brought her out of her thoughts. “They say they're just wrapping up, we should be be out of here in the next hour or so,” Tara explained. She stood next to Felix across from the others.

     The Doctor groaned. “An hour? Can't we just sneak out on the TARDIS?”

     Beckett threw him a level glare. “Oh yeah, skipping out on a town who just had their museum torn apart and leaving them no answers isn't going to make them panic or anything,” she said pointedly. “We'll be out of here soon enough.”

     “I'm just glad they're not trying to pin this on any of us,” Felix said smoothly.

     Castle shook his head. “I think the dead Daleks littering the halls kind of makes it hard to ignore the truth,” he quipped. The writer's arm was around Beckett's shoulders, and they were sitting on the desk side by side. She leaned her head against his shoulder as he asked Tara, “What are they saying about what happened?”

     “Oh, you know, that Lewart's a bloody idiot for starters,” Tara said with a grin. “I think they're just glad that it's not a full-blown invasion, and that no one died. The museum's going to take a while to repair, but it's not beyond saving. A ton of the exhibits were destroyed, though, and now with Lewart facing charges, it's going to take more than repairs to get this place back on it's feet.” She frowned. “It's a shame, really. I like this old place.”

     Felix let out a low noise, almost like a purr. “Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about the museum,” he told them in a soft tone. “I spoke with Violet Dowess earlier. She mentioned that she was fairly interested in procuring it from Lewart, once the authorities take it from him. With the funding from myself and Fi, Twi, and Ki, and the donation of several family artifacts that some of us have managed to stow away, I think the museum will survive. It may take a while to thrive, but it will get there.”

     Tara grinned. “That's a relief, at least. I'd hate for Lewart's stupidity to mean this place goes belly-up. I'll see if I can get a sort of 'save the museum' PR campaign started. Maybe some media attention can up the patrons and keep this place floating.”

     Beckett listened with an odd sense of relief. For all the times she'd nearly been killed inside it, it somehow felt good to hear that the museum wasn't going to be shut down because of Lewart or the Daleks. “Looks like things are looking up for you guys,” she commented.

     “Definitely,” Tara agreed. “You could even say we're better off. Never thought I'd be grateful for mass-murdering metal machines of doom trying to take over. Guess nothing's impossible, huh?”

     There was a brief silence, the group just comfortably thinking about the future, and the day's events. Castle was the one to break the silence. “So, Tara, this enough excitement for your sleepy little nothing-ever-happens-here town?”

     She chuckled. “As much fun as this was, I think I'll actually be grateful when things start being quiet around here again,” she agreed. “Still, it wasn't that terrible. No one died, and we actually got to do some real good. And I wasn't looking after this town on my own, for once.”

     Felix cleared his throat. “Actually, that's something I've been meaning to ask you about.” Tara turned to look at him. “I've been thinking about this since we beat the Daleks. It's just like you said. For once, we were doing something worth doing to help other people. I've never done anything like that before. I donate to charities, I put my money towards good causes, but I've never actually... well. Like I said.” For some reason, the silver-haired alien seemed nervous. “I believe you mentioned that you wished you didn't have to work alone as sheriff?”

     Tara blinked in surprise. “Yeah. What about it?”

     “I was wondering if you'd be willing to take on a partner.”

     Everyone stared at him in surprise. “ _You_ want to work in the sheriff's office?” Beckett finally asked. She knew Felix had the brains and the courage for it; he'd kept it together the whole time they'd faced the Daleks, and he'd helped them all escape. But it still surprised her that someone with all the money and luxury that Felix had would want to take up such a common, low-paying profession. _Well,_ she reflected, glancing with a smile at Castle, _maybe not that surprising._

     Tara seemed shocked too. But after a few moments, she broke out in a huge grin and clapped a hand on Felix's shoulder. “You kidding? I'd love someone around to make my job a little less boring.”

     Beckett watched the scene in front of her with amusement. It seemed like things were going to be alright for the people here when they left. Sure, their museum was kind of destroyed, but they had a good team looking out for them, and in time, they'd rebuild.

     She glanced to the side, noticing some feds speaking to a group of aliens. They mostly looked human, but they didn't seem like feds, and Beckett didn't recognize them. She nodded towards them. “Who are they?”

     The Doctor craned his neck to get a better look. He was leaning his back against the desk, a little ways away from Castle and Beckett. “Them? Oh, I heard one of them mentioning that they'd brought in the archaeologists who found the Daleks in for questioning. That must be them.”

     As they watched, the feds dispersed, leaving the archaeologists alone. The group of archaeologists began to walk back towards Beckett and the others, heading towards the door. As they did, Beckett caught a glimpse of a very familiar, very bushy head of hair. “River?” she blurted out, shocked.

     The owner of that hair turned towards them as the others walked away. It was definitely River Song, but something about her seemed different. The lines and soft wrinkles on her face told Beckett she was older than when she had seen her last, but her eyes seemed younger, somehow. She glanced curiously at Beckett, no hint of recognition in her expression. “I'm sorry, have we met?” Then she noticed the Doctor. Her expression immediately became more relaxed, her smile flirting, and vulnerable too. It was a strange look for the confident woman Beckett had known. “Hello, sweetie,” she greeted, but it didn't hold the flippant confidence Beckett had heard there before.

     Somehow, the Doctor didn't seem as surprised as the rest of them to see her there. “Hello River,” he greeted cheerfully. “I was wondering when we'd run into you.”

     Castle looked at the Time Lord in surprise. “You knew this was going to happen?” River seemed equally surprised. She kept glancing between the Doctor and his companions, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

     The Doctor smirked. “Before we left Earth, River told me she'd seen me with you on a trip once,” he explained to Castle. “Remember, we run on different timelines? This is a younger River who hasn't met you yet. Much younger, I'd wager.” He gave River a curious glance. “What was the last time we met for you?”

     River lifted her chin, a bit of a tremor entering her voice when she said, “The Third Reich.”

     He seemed surprised. “Oh. That early?” There was some emotion Beckett couldn't read in his eyes, something dark. “You have a lot ahead of you, then.”

     Whatever she had seen in his eyes seemed to unsettle River. But only for a moment. After that, she just smiled coyly at him. “Spoilers,” she reminded him pointedly.

     He smiled back. “Of course.”

     “So, you're the one who dug up the Daleks?” Castle asked curiously.

     River nodded. “I joined on pretty late, but yeah, I helped out. Didn't realize what they were those. We just handed them over when we found them, we had no idea Lewart would muck up the paperwork like that.” She grinned. “So, that's what a Dalek looks like, eh? Not very intimidating.”

     “They're intimidating enough when they're trying to kill you,” Beckett said dryly. “I think the damage around here gives a good enough idea of how powerful they are.”

     River shrugged. “Fair enough. Guess we're all just lucky you lot showed up to take care of them.” She looked at the Doctor while she spoke, her gaze full of amusement, and curiosity. And something like longing.

     There was a brief silence, before he awkwardly cleared his throat. “Right, we'll probably be here a bit longer, but then I have to get these two back to Earth.” River looked curiously at Castle and Beckett, but didn't make any comment.

     “Yeah, well, I should probably get going. I'll see you again soon.” It wasn't even a question. She gave him a final smirk, then went to catch up with her companions. Beckett watched her go, trying to reconcile the young, naive woman she had just met with the fierce, confident fighter she had known.

     “So, who was that?” The detective looked back at Tara and Felix with surprise. She had almost forgotten they were there.

     She tried and failed to hide a smirk. “It's a bit of a long story.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     They spent the rest of the hour that they were stuck in the museum telling Tara and Felix about River, and how they'd met the Doctor. He also told them a little about his own travels, and his companions, Amy and Rory.

     Eventually, the feds wrapped up their questioning, and everyone was allowed to leave. It was time for the group to go their own ways. Tara pulled Beckett into a hug, which she returned after a moment of surprise. “I'm going to miss you,” the Silurian told her. “We made a good team out there, yeah?”

     Beckett grinned. “Definitely. I don't think there'll be any Daleks in Swametel again any time soon.”

     Tara laughed, pulling back to give Beckett a grin. “Name doesn't really fit anymore, does it? Ah well. It'll stick anyway.”

     As Tara went to say her goodbyes to Castle and the Doctor, Felix made his way over to Beckett. “Detective Beckett,” he said smoothly, dipping his head to her. “Thank for everything you've done. You saved my life out there.”

     She shook her head. “I just did my job. Thank you for helping me keep everyone calm. I know you'll be great, working with the sheriff.”

     He smiled, looking more excited and pleased than Beckett had seen him yet. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

     After saying their final goodbyes, Tara and Felix headed off together, the sheriff's arm slung over Felix's shoulders as she chattered excitedly to him. Beckett watched them leave, thinking how familiar the sight of them way.

     Castle seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “The rich man and the cop, working together,” he pointed out. “There's an elegant symmetry to it.” He gave Beckett a side glance. “Ten bucks says they make out.”

     She rolled her eyes. “Nah, I don't see that with them. I think they'll make great partners, but I don't think they'll be together like that.” _Like us._ Castle's smile softened at her words. His hand reached out to hers, and she took it, their fingers entwining.

     After a few moments, the Doctor spoke again. “So! To the TARDIS, then back to Earth?” There was an unspoken question there.

     For the briefest of moments, Beckett hesitated. Today had been crazy, dangerous, terrifying – but also wonderfully mad and exciting. To be able to live every day helping people and seeing new places was unbearably tempting. But her conviction from earlier that day rose up again. She knew, now more than ever, exactly where she belonged. And that was on Earth, with Castle, and the job and family she had there. There was no regret in her tone when she agreed, “Back to Earth.” Castle nodded in agreement. She knew that he would never leave Alexis or his mother behind, not even to see all that time and space had to offer.

     The Doctor seemed a little sad as he looked over the pair of them, but he just gave a brief nod. “Of course.” Beckett knew he understood. They had lives on Earth that couldn't allow them to just fly off with him. “Well then, let's get you back.” He turned and started off, Castle and Beckett following.

     They headed out of the museum to the front lot. The TARDIS was parked just outside, exactly where they'd left it the first time. The Doctor opened it with his key, then pushed the door in, leading his friends inside. Beckett still felt a jolt of awe and wonder at the sight of the inner TARDIS. The wide room with the doming ceiling and advanced technology evident in the design still amazed her, even though she'd seen it multiple times before. It suddenly hit her that this was probably the last time she would ever see this ship. It was a bittersweet sort of feeling, but it still felt right. No matter how much a life in this wonderful box tempted her, she didn't belong here.

     The Doctor crossed over to the console, pushing some buttons and dials to start up a flight sequence. “Right,” he said without looking back at them, “let's take you two home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I wrote this one all in one day. And now it's 4:30 in the morning and I have class tomorrow. *sigh* I'll never learn, will I?
> 
> Well, I'm glad I did finish this, though. It's so much easier to write characters conversing than all kinds of action. Must be why the last few chapters weren't as enjoyable to write. I did enjoy this one, though.
> 
> And look, a wild River appears! Now we see why she knew Castle and Beckett would accept the Doctor's offer, and how she recognized them before. I tried to hint at it before, when I mentioned that archaeologists found the Daleks in the first place.
> 
> This story is just about done, there's just a brief epilogue left, then it's finished. After that I might not be around quite as much. I want to get that rewrite of the Moffat seasons started, but I still have some planning to do. I might focus on an original project of mine and my Warriors fanfic Echoes of the War more in the meantime. So yeah, there's that to look forward to.
> 
> Oh, and I might also have another brief crossover in the works. Think more AMTM length than TWWC, probably in the ballpark of 10 chapters. I won't say what it is just yet, but I will say it involves Doctor Who and another story. Again. :P


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor leaves Castle and Beckett on Earth.

     The TARDIS landed on a street corner in New York City, very close to Castle's apartment, five minutes after it had left. Castle and Beckett stepped out onto the street, blinking at the bright rush of sunlight after the door was opened. The mundane sight of crowds milling about on the familiar Earth street seemed almost more alien to Castle now than the varied aliens and strange skies of Swametel. But there was a warm familiarity to it as well. He took in a deep breath, the smoggy New York air somehow sweeter than he remembered.

     “Here you are then.” Castle turned back to see the Doctor leaning against the TARDIS door. The Time Lord wore an unreadable expression, sparing only a soft, sad smile for the humans. “Back home, five minutes after you left. I made sure this time.”

     “ _This_ time?” Beckett repeated, but the Doctor didn't reply. Castle sobered as he realized that this was probably the last time they would ever see the Time Lord.

     The writer couldn't help but ask, “You ever going to come back here?”

     The Doctor shrugged. “Oh, you know me, always banging around the universe. I'll probably wind up in New York again at some point.” Castle and Beckett exchanged a glance. They both knew he was really saying no. The Doctor didn't revisit his past, not even to see old friends. It was frustrating, but there was nothing they could say to change his mind. They had decided not to join him on the TARDIS, and he could well decide not to come back to visit.

     “Well, if you're ever in the city, feel free to drop in,” Beckett told him. “You're always welcome.”

     Something glinted in his eyes. “I'll keep it in mind.” His expression grew softer, his smile more genuine now. “Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett. You two were fantastic, you really were.”

     Castle felt a rush of warmth, and a tinge of sadness. He would miss this strange, alien friend he had made. “Thank you for taking us with you, Doctor,” he said sincerely. “Swametel was amazing. We'll never forget it.”

     “Of course,” the Doctor replied. He glanced briefly between the two of them. “Take care, you two.”

     “You too, Doctor,” Beckett said with a warm smile. Castle remembered back to when they had first met the Time Lord, when Beckett had been so suspicious of him. So much had changed in just a few short days.

     He gave them a final nod, then turned back to his ship, passing through the door and closing it behind him. Castle and Beckett stood side by side, hand clasped together, as they watched the TARDIS disappear from sight forever.

     They stood there for some time, staring at the place where the box and her owner had gone, both wrapped up in their own thoughts. Finally, Beckett gave Castle's hand a squeeze. “We should get back,” she told him. Castle knew she was right. The last few days had been amazing, but it was time to return their lives, in the real world.

     They made their way through the throng of people, heading into the building and up to Castle's apartment. Martha was in the kitchen, putting something together for dinner, while Alexis was coming into the living room from the hall. Both of them looked up as Castle and Beckett entered. “Darling,” Martha said in surprise, coming out to greet them, “I thought you'd be out late working on your case.”

     Castle had almost forgotten about the Wyvern and the murdered Arondian. “We wrapped that one up.” At Martha's curious expression, he hastily promised, “Tell you about it later.” He didn't want to have to explain that they'd written it off as gang violence just yet. To change the subject, he turned quickly to his daughter. “I thought you'd be back at college by now.”

     “Just dropping off some laundry,” Alexis explained. She glanced between her father and his girlfriend with clear confusion. “Are you guys alright? You look like you've been in a fight or something.”

     Castle looked over himself and Beckett briefly. She was right; both of them looked disheveled, with minor cuts and scrapes. Beckett in particular had a few cuts on her arms and shoulders from broken glass. “Er, trouble with a suspect,” he explained smoothly.

     Alexis looked uncertain for a moment, then shrugged and started towards the kitchen. “So, Gran, what's for dinner?”

     As his daughter and mother chattered about pasta, Castle felt a sudden surge of warmth. The last few days had given him aliens, time travel, grand adventure, new skies. It had been a mad, wonderful rush of danger and excitement. But that was over now. Right here, in his home, next to the woman he loved, with his family there and the job he adored waiting for him... _this_ was where he belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, two years later, at the end of this story. Sorry again that it took so long. It is nice to finally have it finished, and not have it hanging over my shoulder waiting to be completed. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story.
> 
> As stated, I'll probably be popping in and out, working on my Warriors fic and a new crossover, but I'll probably be focusing the majority of my energy on my original project. I'll try to get that Moffat seasons rewrite started eventually, though.


End file.
